Is Marble Harder Than Quartz

Etching is the colorless watermark left on marble with everyday use in the kitchen or bath especially around a sink or tub.

Is marble harder than quartz.

Quartz countertops can handle oil tomato wine coffee juice and many other stainable products. Homeowners often turn to quartz as an alternative to not only granite and marble but materials such as solid surface as well. However with certain polishing sealants modern marble can be made to look much glossier than it did in the past. These two stones have a mohs hardness rating of 6 or 7.

While marble is slightly harder and denser than limestone both rate very low on the mohs scale a rating used to measure the hardness of stones. Finally marble is more susceptible to stunning than quartz is. The table below displays the positive and negative qualities of quartz. Marble for instance is also a rock of this type but it has been formed from limestone.

Marble is a degree or two less and though it is still a very hard stone it s rating on the mohs scale is about a 5. Quartz comes in different colors like white opaque rose smoky yellow violet and brown. Quartzite is an extremely hard rock that is not. While definitely not a cheap countertop option the look and endurance of stone make it well worth the cost.

While quartz can closely compare with granite and marble it is of better quality than solid surface countertops. Quartz has a hardness of 7 on moh s scale whereas marble comes with a hardness of 3 to 4 on the scale. Granite is a stronger and harder stone than marble is which lends it a shiny glossy appearance compared to marble s dull smoothness. Granite is less expensive than marble starting at roughly 75 square foot installed and 100 more than that for higher end stone.

Marble and limestone lie at the opposite end of the hardness scale from granite. So we strive for the hardest most attainable and attractive option in stones which happens to be granite and quartz. Limestone generally ranks at around a 3 on the scale while marble falls between 3 and 4. Granite is a harder stone than marble and holds up better to chips and scratches.

Here are quartzite s best qualities. Marble comes in white yellow purple uniform pure white red cedar red blue ray and black. Quartz with its very hard surface will not show etching or. A hard sudden impact on the stone such as a cast iron skillet getting dropped can cause a white mark to appear.

Marble is also softer than quartz and etches with use. Honing the marble or giving it a matte surface can reduce the appearance of etch marks but it won t eliminate them altogether. Plus quartz doesn t hold viruses or bacteria so you know that your countertops will be clean when you wipe it down. When talking of hardness quartz is harder than marble.