Thanks trecia114!!

I’m trying to find out if anyone knows if White Shadow is truly quartzite? And what does the grade mean?

do you know? Thanks in advance!

Lol! Sorry. Google says both. You might want to ask the slab yard which one is your slab. Good luck!

Yep!! That’s what I saw as well. Leave it to Google to make things confusing!

looks like it was renamed. Shadow Storm is the well know name for that (many stone places put their own names on slabs)

Could be quartzite, but it could be a type of marble. you never know until you test it.

try the glass and the etch tests. (lemon juice, 5 mins, wipe away. did it etch?)

quartzite will scratch glass. marble will turn to powder and not scratch the glass

You need to do a test for marble--don't rely on anything the stone yard says. They either have no idea or will tell you what you want to hear. There are two tests--the scratch test and the acid test. If anything acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar, leaves a dull mark (an "etch") then it's most likely marble. Also if a knife scratches it, it also is most likely marble. If neither of those things happen, you probably are looking at quartzite.

If you really want to learn more about the properties of these two stones, contact Karin Kirk, a geologist and frequent commenter here on Houzz. Just google her and you'll find a wealth of knowledge from this noted expert!

Thanks Diana! I read through her information. And it sounds like there can be marble and quartz with the same name, since they can be quarried from the same location. Just different strengths depending on where in the quarry.

I think. If it read it right. Lol

Wow, I've never seen Karin write anything to that effect. Can you share the link?

Could have been a different article regarding determining whether or not your stone is marble or quartzite. I’ve read so many now, it’s all a blur.

Haha, I get it! From what I've read, quartzite and marble are two totally different substances. Quartzite is compressed sandstone and marble is compressed limestone. They don't usually appear in the same quarry, but I could be mistaken.

chelsea, did you see my comment? you have Shadow Storm. that's the real name. you can do more research on it if you like. I also posted two tests you can try

However, they're saying Shadow Storm is a marble. a harder type of marble (prob more of a dolomite) but still marble. Do those tests to confirm it

Karin actually commented on this one:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3923991/shadow-storm-marble-or

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4040645/does-anyone-have-shadow-storm-quartzite-marble

Jessica Tiller
As an update to my question in June 2017 on whether to buy Shadow Storm (a hard marble is what I've been told) vs quartz - I went with the marble. I have sealed my marble once. Staining has NOT been an issue. We have had parties and red wine was spilled and then sat, soy sauce, etc. No issues there. What I have found is you have to be careful with citrus because it will etch. I have the honed surface so you can't really tell. Also, there are a few small, minor chips around the sink. I cook at lot and we are constantly in the kitchen - have had caterers in here and hosted my cousin's rehearsal dinner this past summer. So, all in all, I really love it and I'm still glad I bought it for anyone on the fence. It is really beautiful and I love looking at it everyday. I also did a Fairy White (I think) marble for my bathroom counter and love that as well. No issues there and have colored my hair once or twice (using dark brown hair color). I have had no chipping in their either. Hope this helps!

Beth H. - Yes ma’am! Thank you!! We had a long chat this morning with our fabricator about it, and it sounds like white Shadow is a lighter version of the shadow storm. They had that one too. He could sense my hesitance and offered to let me do the tests, but he also said he wouldn‘t accept my money unless I was fully comfortable. Since he’s the one actually working with the stone, that made me feel better. My husband loved it and got a good vibe after the conversation (he’s a cop, so deals with awesome, honest people, and then sketchy folks regularly, so I trust his insight). We’ll see how it holds up! If I hate it in 5-10 years, we can replace counters. Lol

oh good. I think it's a nice looking stone.

(I did the same job as your hub for 30 yrs! and yes, you tend to get that 6th sense)

Beth - that’s awesome!!