Holly:

I don't sell granite or quartz so I've no dog in this fight, however, if I did sell quartz, I'd take full advantage of anti-Chinese hysteria and exploit non-Breton if my quartz were Breton.

I have yet to see a single scientific documentation that Chinese quartz, Breton or not, is substantially inferior to others.

It ain't all that tough to make, when the Chinese rip you off they do a good job of it, and the Chinese quartz I've seen at the trade shows in person appears as good as any, Breton or not.

One can usually tell by the price. It generally means that the quality is less by the price when purchasing Quartz. Granite is timeless. Also quartzite is also durable. Please note quartzite is a natural product and should not be confused with quartz.

J Design Group
225 Malaga Ave
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Ph: 305-444-4611
https://www.JDesignGroup.com

Talk to a kitchen designer and talk to fabricators about what materials they recommend. Good quartz is beautiful and if it's the right manufacturer and the right thickness, it is likely to last as long as granite, or longer. And quartz requires no sealing to keep it lasting (most people don't bother sealing their granite, but over time, this will cause the stone to stain, chip, etc).

I am a fabricator. My shop sells several brands of quartz and many different natural stones. I have seen issues occasionally with different quartz manufacturers where the material was cured improperly and residual stresses in the slabs caused cracking. However, in those cases the problem surfaced in the fab shop as the slab and individual parts undergo a lot of stress and handling during the fabrication process. I have not noted extra issues with non-Breton slabs. If you are working with a reputable fabricator that stands behind his work I wouldn't worry about it. Your fabricator should be willing to guarantee against cracks in a quartz product. (possibly excepting the sink rail which, even in properly installed quartz, can be cracked if someone uses it as a step to change the lite bulb over the sink.)

"Granite is timeless."

It may be, but it's also in every highway gas station across the country.

Supermarkets too : )

Here's an excellent article on quartz.

Joseph Corlett - Thank you for the very informative article! Unfortunately, it hasn't made my decision any easier! What I have learned from my research is that it doesn't really matter where your quartz is manufactured, as long as high quality raw materials, manufacturing equipment and processes were used. The true quality of a slab can only be evaluated through laboratory testing, not visual inspection. The manufacturing process for light colored and veined colors must be more precise than other colors or problems will occur over time. It is all very intimidating. Of course I want one of the marble-ish patterns. MSI offers one that I like but it is at a lower price point than others and I confirmed with MSI that it is manufactured in China and they do not use Breton equipment (which some people say is the standard). MSI claims long-veined patterns cannot be achieved using Breton machinery and that it doesn't matter what brand of oven you use, as long as it is done right. Am I to conclude that it must be lower quality because it is sold at a lower price point? The color I like is relatively new. There are many positive reviews from consumers who chose it but it is too soon for problems to appear. This is a huge part of the kitchen budget and I don't want to screw it up but I have no idea how to get answers to my questions from a trustworthy source that isn't trying to sell something. How do I know if the supplier is a 'high quality' one? Help?!?

We sell quartz for various vendors and in no way, shape or form are we promoting one over the other. All we can say is that we have sold many MSI Calacatta Veronas and have never had any clients come back complaining to us. Hope this helps and we hope your kitchen comes out as you have planned. Please share pictures along the way.

ST Stones -From what I read, it is too early to tell if there will be problems with the Verona. I may be over thinking it and just need to roll the dice but I am so afraid of making a mistake. Since you sell MSI, do you know anything about their quality control? Is their lower price point an indicator of subpar materials or short cut processes - or is it that they just want to enter an increasingly competitive market? I don't know how to get these answers. Thank you for trying to help me!

quartzite is natural stone, like granite or marble. quartz is manufactured with quartz crystals and resins. some patterns are intended to look like natural stone and some are homogeneous colors.

If you are nervous, ask about warranty's offered. We have never had any issues with their quartz though. Like everything else we buy in life, a lot of it has to do with brand names. A Rolex will give the same time as a Casio.

Thanks for clarifying that, Holly. Is quartzite more or less expensive, more or less durable or prone to staining or chipping?

maggierateye - refer to the informative article posted above by Joseph Corlett

maggierateye - here are two more articles. There are many others to help you decide.

https://medium.com/@SteedForm/engineered-quartz-vs-natural-stone-d6a0c9072f5d

https://www.countertopcost.com/quartz-vs-quartzite-countertops-cost/

Thanks, Oldryder. Good information.