Natural Stone: Four Types of Stone
At Caffrey’s we use the four most popular types of natural stone: Granite, Marble, Quartz and Limestone. Each is used in different products and has different attributes. Each has its own individual beauty and "personality".
Natural stone is a natural product and it will vary in color and pattern from slab to slab and from samples in our showroom (only quartz stone has a consistent colour and pattern). Some times it may vary in the same piece. This it what gives it character and makes it unique, assuring you that you have a one-of-a-kind product.
Marble comes in a wide range of colors, and offers wonderful veining. No two pieces of marble are ever alike. In fact, part of this natural stone's beauty is that its irregularities will make any worktop, wall or other surface, unique and "alive". Marble has been used for centuries to add sophistication, class and refined taste to buildings. In residential and commercial environments, it is widely used in entrance ways, public places, floors, tiling, living rooms, fireplaces, bathrooms walls, shower walls, vanity tops etc. Marble is also very popular with furniture (modern and antique furnishings), and has countless applications with simple ornaments.
Granite
also comes in a large variety of colors. Its look is more of a speckled and crystalline one and it appears more robust and solid. Veining may also occur in some granite, but it is generally more uniform than marble. Granite is very durable and thus more suited for exterior applications (wall cladding, monuments etc.) than marble is, making it a prime candidate for many commercial projects (especially in flooring). Those qualities combined with good hygienic attributes make granite a great stone for kitchen countertops. It is also widely used in dining room tables, bar tops, classy desktops and shelves, to name only a few. Because it is stronger, it also benefits from more surface treatment options. Granite is therefore a more versatile stone. A type of granite alone can offer several looks, each based on a different texture. This gives the architect, the designer and the building owner, a much appreciated freedom of creativity.
Quartz stone is even more uniform as it displays a "consistent variability" in color, pattern, and texture. Quartz stone is a man-made material made of natural products. It is made by quartz which is the most common mineral in earth. Because quartz grows in clusters and does not form huge stone blocks like granite (which contains 40% - 60% quartz), limestone or other types of rock, it does not form solid blocks that can be cut into large slabs. There is a manufacturing process that uses raw quartz crystals combined with bonding agents (resin) and color, in high temperatures. The resulting slabs are a matrix of 93% quartz and 7% resin binders and dye.
Limestone is usually not polished and it is used extensively and for a long time for window sills, quoin stones, wall cladding, door surrounds, sculptures etc. or inside the house in fireplace hearths. The usual finishes used are sand-blasted or honed. It has uniform colour and a porous texture that makes it more earthy and very natural looking.
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