Quartzite is often mistaken for Quartz. When we refer to Quartz countertops, we are talking about an engineered stone; a composite that is made in a factory from 90% silica, less than 10% quartz particles, crushed up waste granite, marble, natural stone, recycled industrial wastes such as ceramic, glass and mirrors bound together by an adhesive make up this engineered stone.

Although they imitate the look of stone, they include no solid quartzite extracted from the quarries.

 

Quartzite is a solid stone which is formed as a result of sandstone and mineral quartz in the Earth under extreme heat and pressure. It is often formed in mountains and hillsides. As it is very strong and thick, it is taken from the Earth’s surface rather than mined underground. At least 90% of quartzite rock is quartz. It is a metamorphosed sandstone dominated by quartz. When in its purest form, quartz is clear or white in color. This sandstone has silica, clay minerals and may include other minerals such as felspar or fragments of rock, most quartzite have some impurities with the quartz which gives quartzite their beautiful colors.