Quartzite · Wynwood, Miami

Quartzite
slabs

Q: Is quartzite better than granite?

For most kitchen applications, yes. Quartzite sits around 7 on the Mohs scale, above granite, and it does not etch. The bigger difference is appearance: quartzite gives you marble-like veining and translucency that granite generally does not. Granite still wins on price and on some very dark colours.

Q: Is quartzite the same as quartz countertops?

No, and the names cause real confusion. Quartzite is a natural stone quarried in blocks and cut into slabs. Engineered quartz is a manufactured product, roughly 90 percent ground quartz bound in resin, made in a factory to a repeating pattern. Quartzite is harder and handles heat far better; the resin in engineered quartz can scorch.

Q: Does quartzite etch or stain?

It does not etch. Quartzite is bound with silica rather than calcite, so acids do nothing to it, which is the main reason people move to it from marble. It is porous enough to want sealing against staining, so seal on install and then treat it as normal.

Q: Is Taj Mahal granite or quartzite?

It is a quartzite. A large part of the trade advertises it as Taj Mahal granite, so if that is what you searched you are in the right place. The correction is in your favour: quartzite is harder than granite and does not etch like marble. We hold Taj Mahal and have a dedicated page for it.

Q: How do I know a quartzite is really quartzite?

Test with acid rather than a scratch. A drop of lemon juice left on an inconspicuous polished area for a few minutes will dull true marble and leave true quartzite unchanged. Softer dolomitic marbles are sometimes sold as quartzite because the name carries a premium. Everything on our floor is sold as what it is, and we will run the test with you.

The stone that ends the marble versus granite argument. Quartzite looks like marble, outperforms granite, and does not etch when somebody puts a lemon on it. ARCA holds 48 quartzite pieces in Wynwood, including Taj Mahal, Cristallo, Mont Blanc and Patagonia.

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Quartzite slab at the ARCA showroom in Wynwood, Miami

What we are holding

Quartzite pieces in inventory

Mohs hardness, above granite

Distinct quartzites on the floor

Every piece is one of one and inventory moves weekly, so treat this as a snapshot rather than a promise. Call the showroom and we will check the exact lots on the floor today while you are on the line.

On The Floor

Quartzite in the showroom

Pulled from our live inventory system. Filter by finish, thickness or application, then tell us what you want staged before you arrive.

The Stone

Why people specify it

It does not etch, and that is the whole point

Quartzite is recrystallised sandstone bound with silica, not calcite. Around 7 on the Mohs scale, harder than granite, and chemically indifferent to acid. Wine, lemon, coffee and vinegar do nothing to a sealed quartzite surface. This is the single reason clients who love marble and cook seriously end up here.

Marble looks without the marble compromise

Taj Mahal reads as warm cream with soft feathered veining. Mont Blanc is cooler and whiter. Cristallo is nearly translucent and takes backlighting better than almost anything we carry. Patagonia and Ijen Blue go the other way entirely and behave like artwork. You are not trading appearance for durability.

Thirty distinct quartzites, staged before you arrive

Quartzite gets mislabelled more than any other category, with softer stones sold under the name because it commands a premium. Everything on our floor is sold as what it is. Tell us quartzite when you book and your specialist pulls every candidate, side by side under the same light, and holds your shortlist for 48 hours.

The Material

What makes it different

Quartzite starts as sandstone. Heat and pressure fuse the quartz grains together with silica until the rock recrystallises into a single interlocking mass, which is why a broken edge fractures through the grains rather than around them. The result is a stone that sits around 7 on the Mohs scale, above granite and well above marble, and one that is chemically inert to the household acids that ruin a polished marble surface. Hardness and chemistry are two separate advantages and quartzite has both.

The category has a labelling problem worth knowing about before you shop anywhere. Because quartzite commands a premium and some quartzites look like marble, softer stones get sold under the name. There are dolomitic marbles on the market labelled quartzite, and they will etch. The practical test is acid, not scratching: a drop of lemon juice left on an inconspicuous polished area for a few minutes will dull true marble and do nothing to true quartzite. Any supplier confident in what they are selling will let you run it.

Taj Mahal is the most requested quartzite in America and it is worth understanding why, because the reason is not drama. It is calm. Cream and ivory with soft, drifting, feathered veining, warm rather than cold, forgiving to book-match and busy enough that a large island never looks flat. Much of the trade advertises it as Taj Mahal granite, which is wrong in the customer's favour: it is harder than granite and does not etch like marble.

At the other end of the category quartzite stops behaving like a countertop material at all. Cristallo is close to translucent and is specified for backlit islands and bar fronts where the stone is lit from behind. Patagonia and Ijen Blue carry large mineral formations that make each slab genuinely singular, and they get specified the way a painting gets specified, one slab, one wall, chosen in person. For those stones the slab is the design decision.

Specification

Material: Natural quartzite, recrystallised sandstone
In stock: Taj Mahal, Cristallo, Cristallo Gold, Mont Blanc, Super White, Patagonia, Ijen Blue, Emerald Green, Red Fusion and more
Formats: Full slabs
Finishes in stock: Honed, Polished, Leather, Satin, Brushed
Thickness: 3/4 inch (2cm)
Hardness: Around 7 on the Mohs scale, above granite
Typical use: Kitchen islands and perimeters, backlit features, bar fronts, vanities, pool surrounds
Care: Seal on install, then normal cleaning. No acid precautions needed.

Questions Answered

Quartzite, answered

Is quartzite better than granite?

Is quartzite the same as quartz countertops?

Does quartzite etch or stain?

Is Taj Mahal granite or quartzite?

How do I know a quartzite is really quartzite?

See a stone you want? Book a private visit: your slabs get pulled and staged, and your shortlist holds for 48 hours under First Look.

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Plan Your Visit

See the collection
in person

Every ARCA slab is one of one, and booked visits see them first. Pick your time instantly — your specialist stages your slabs before you arrive and unlocks First Look access to stone the floor has not seen yet.

Prefer to talk? Call the showroom+1 (786) 460-7444 · answered 24/7

260 NW 27th St
Wynwood, Miami, FL 33127

+1 (786) 460-7444

Mon–Fri 9am–6pm · Sat 10am–4pm

Your slabs pulled and staged before you arrive

First Look: preview new arrivals before they reach the floor

Hold your shortlisted slabs for 48 hours

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