While both countertop materials will out live the homeowner, quartz has surpassed granite installations at @HOME/Stone Specialists. Both are easy to care for and durable. Quartz offers the predictability most like in their lives. It's a "what you see is what you get" selection. However, with granite, Mother Nature throws in veins, beauty marks, color variation and different geological properties into every slab. A quartz sample is going to match the slab, although it's a great idea to see the full quartz slab prior to installation. After all, most quartz colors are designed to mimic Mother Nature and may have a more evident pattern than on a sample.
Quartz countertop material is comprised of pulverized quartz (found all over the world) and the manufacturers' proprietary mix of colors and patterns. They make slabs and put it out to market. @HOME/Stone Specialists carries nine brands of quartz, so you are sure to find your favorite choice. Most manufacturers have five to eight price groups. Therefore, quartz can be more or less costly than granite, depending on your selection.
Granite (as well as other natural stone: slate, marble, quartzite, limestone) is found in quarries. Large blocks are pulled from the earth, cut into slabs and polished. Price is dependent on where the slab comes from in the world, how hard it is to get out of the earth, rarity and general supply and demand. (We've seen the price of Iceberg Quartzite skyrocket in recent years.) Natural stone is sometimes priced like diamonds.
