Stone Care Answers · 8 of 11
Stone identification
Which stone you have decides every answer on this site. Here's how to be sure.
8 answers on this page. Tap a question to open it.
Is my counter granite or quartz?
Look at a seam or the edge where two pieces meet. If the pattern on one side picks up the same motif as the other, or matches a second slab in the house, it was printed: quartz. Natural stone never repeats from slab to slab. Up close, granite shows individual crystal grains; quartz looks uniform, almost too even.
Homeowner
Is my counter marble or quartzite?
They can look identical. One drop of lemon juice on a hidden spot: if it dulls, it's marble or a marble-family stone. If nothing changes, it's true quartzite. Do it under an overhang or behind the faucet; the dull spot is permanent until re-polished.
Homeowner
How do I know if my quartzite is real quartzite?
The same lemon test. True quartzite is quartz-based and doesn't react to acid. A lot of what's sold as quartzite is dolomitic or marble-family stone with the same look, and it dulls under a lemon. The paperwork says quartzite either way; the stone tells the truth.
Homeowner
What is dolomite, and why does it matter?
Dolomite is a marble-family stone that's a little harder than marble and a little slower to etch, but it still etches. Many popular "quartzites" are dolomite. If yours is, it gets marble care: coasters, no acids, and re-polishing when it rings.
Is Calacatta, Carrara, or Taj Mahal marble or quartzite?
Calacatta and Carrara are marble; they etch. Taj Mahal is a true quartzite and doesn't. Names get borrowed and mislabeled, so treat the name as a hint and the lemon test as the answer.
Is my Dekton or porcelain counter stone?
No. Sintered surfaces and porcelain slabs are manufactured, not quarried, and they're outside what we work on. They don't etch or absorb, and damage to them is a fabricator or manufacturer conversation.
What's the difference between leathered, honed, and polished?
Polished is the mirror finish: shows color best, shows every etch and scratch. Honed is matte: hides light etching, shows oil stains more. Leathered is textured: hides fingerprints and light wear, harder to clean into. All three are the same stone under a different final abrasive step.
What should my fabricator paperwork say about the stone?
The stone name and type, the slab source if you're lucky, the finish, and whether it was sealed at install. If it just says "granite" or "stone," ask. If it says quartzite, run the lemon test anyway.
Nothing here matches that. Try the search on the main answers page, or send a photo below.
Sources:
Natural Stone Institute stone classification; industry slab classifications.
Reviewed September 2026. Fact-checked against Natural Stone Institute publications and manufacturer technical data by an independent reviewer. Written by Restore My Counters.
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