Actual names for stone identification/research

Today we went to view a large slab of Silestone quartz in Stellar Rose (which my husband & I THOUGHT we loved) at "Vangura's world-class fabricating facility" in North Huntington, PA. Much to our dismay, we both ended up hating it! I was concerned that the mirror flecks would look too "disco-ish", however it was the rose blotches that were horrendous! We were grateful that we made the 90 minute trip to the facility, and were spared a $6000 mistake! However, now after 4 months of research & decision making, we're right back at square one, searching for our "perfect" choice again. We were certain we wanted quartz, but after seeing all the beautiful slabs of granite, we did a complete 360, and ultimately found 1 slab of granite we love, and 2 other possibilities. The problem is that Vangura assigns their own names & faxes the info directly to our Kitchen Designer to give us the price, etc. The pieces we love were named "Marrone 8000 South America Brazil 8010 TGB" and "Azul 6000 Europe Norway 6040 EPV". Both have grey, black, silver white (very iridescent), and the Azul also has alot of iridescent blue and is lighter in shade. The 3rd choice is Uba Tuba (which obviously they kept it's name). We were not allowed to photograph them or buy a sample, etc. and I already cannot remember exactly what they look like. Also, we cannot even comparison shop not knowing the actual names. Our kitchen cabinets are cherry wood with a burgundy stain. We now need to pick out a floor to coordinate. Do you have ANY idea how we can find out their “real” names? And, after, reading all the horror stories about granite staining, cracking, clouding, being doctored, seal or no seal, and even possibly NOT being granite, how can I find out what their qualities, etc. are, and if they are even granite? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

Dear Nancy:

Until marblecleaning.org, through the support of the consumers, will have its way and put some order in the stone industry house, when you stumble into companies that use the strategy to arrogantly isolate themselves from the rest of the pack by hiding the real names of the different stones they deal with and so on, the only defense available to the consumers is to go shop somewhere else without further ado.

I can't give you any advice better than that.

Moreover, I hope you will understand the true spirit of what I'm about to say. It appears to me that like most other inquirers at this stage you seem mostly interested in the type of stone and/or its physical characteristics. It's human nature at work, I reckon! J

How about if I tell you that a certain stone is a good choice and then you get a low-grade slab or a doctored one? Trust me: the human factor is far more important than the stone itself and should be the only true deciding factor!

In an industry that's virtually unregulated, how good and reputable the fabricator who's is going to process the stone you'll end up choosing is far more important than the stone itself. None of the horror stories that get posted in this very site stem from the stone: they all stem from the fabricator. That is why I seldom make final statements about any one particular stone. There may be differences within the same stone (and I'm not talking about looks, here!) from one bundle of slabs and the next. The slabs may have also been either “doctored” (which is bad), or “resined” (which overall is good) by the factory, which would make a big difference. Even more important, what's a good stone in the hands of some “Michelangelo”?! And again: a reputable fabricator will only carry high-grade slabs, not some “special!”

We have available a very comprehensive article on “How to Shop for a Granite Kitchen Countertop” that will give you all the intelligence you need to venture yourself with confidence in the stone industry jungle, and it includes the world renowned “Lemon juice (and oil) test”, which will enable you to determine on your own the suitability of any stone you will consider! It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature section at:  http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format and I consider it a cheap “insurance premium” to pay when there are thousands of $ involved! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause, your cause, since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.

Also, will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friends & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!   

Also, do take advantage of the plethora of FREE Helpful Hints available at: http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm. They're on the house!

Thank you.

Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli

 

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