Engineered quartz is sometimes marketed as a sustainable, natural material because of the quartz in it. However, as the process of manufacturing engineered quartz depicted demonstrates, that is not the case.

I’m Ashley, and I’ve been slowly renovating my kitchen to create a new space fit for a modern family in an old home. While it’s taken me years to decide on the layout and cabinetry color, there was always one thing that was certain. Marble countertops.

The use of natural stone on buildings and paving can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. No matter where you go, around the world you will find beautiful buildings and structures that are characterized by their use of natural stone.

Kat Coleman, owner and principal of Long Beach, California-based Topkat Design Group, reminds clients that stone is a natural material so there needs be some tolerance. What some clients may view as imperfections in natural stone, Coleman calls “character.” “Nature is perfectly imperfect,” she reminds clients.

Vermont Verde’s original quarry is so impressively deep that it’s a tourist attraction. The walls of the quarry are dark green with white veining, and a pool of turquoise water sits at the bottom, 200 feet down.

Natural stone adds value to any project through its sustainability properties. Stone—a single-ingredient product — is one of the most sustainable building materials that can be specified.

Berea sandstone is famous for good reason; it’s a durable stone with few irregularities. The sandstone straddles the all-important line of being hard enough to withstand the elements, yet soft enough to be workable.

There are many reasons homeowners choose natural stone in their kitchens. With new technology and resources that allow for more stress-free living, they have more options than ever to create a space they love.

After being a stone dealer and fabricator for 12 years, Continental Cut Stone entered a new chapter as a quarrier. More than twenty years later, they’ve never looked back.

With its unprecedented size and beauty, the mosque in the city of Shali in the Chechen Republic of Russia has an awe-inspiring presence. The massive structure features Thassos White marble throughout its exterior and interior design—further contributing to its stunning appearance.

100 Bishopsgate is a development of two mixed-used buildings in London’s financial district. On the walls of the ground floor and lobby, a wide range of Lasa White marble from Carrara, Italy was used to welcome visitors to the complex. All of the walls, specifically the lobby’s feature wall, were vein-matched to convey a solid look: a feat that took a lot of time and planning to achieve.

Much of the stone industry rests on centuries-old quarries with a multi-generational history of operations, but Kasota Stone emerged only seven years ago. Principal founder Jake Barkley and his team bring forth an unusual business model, a collaboration with the State of Minnesota, and a clearly-articulated determination to grow and thrive.

Jan Neiges is a certified master kitchen and bath designer with the National Kitchen & Bath Association and principal of Colorado-based Jan Neiges CKD LLC. For Neiges, the act of discovery and finding out what is drawing the client to a particular piece of natural stone is part of the fun when working on a kitchen.

Natural thin stone veneer is only at the beginning of its potential. It continues to have a positive impact on many different design concepts and features.

Krukowski Stone Company quarries two distinctly different stone types: Aqua Grantique and Quartz sandstone. Although they are quarried only a mile apart, they’re separated by more than 1 billion years of geologic time.

For the construction of a 7,400-square-foot home in Highland Park, Texas, a pair of homeowners opted for a modern architectural style using materials that would withstand the test of time. The home’s center is focused around the main entry, which features meticulously designed walls clad in Indiana limestone.

The team at AM3 offers no shortage of enthusiasm and ambition as they strive to help an American marble reach its full potential.

Rose Kallas and Christine Morgan, partners and principals of Chicago-based Two Girls and a Hammer LLC, have seen residential design trends come and go. While many classics, like marble, remain popular, the duo is noticing clients asking for more color. Natural stone is delivering.

The palatial estate of Eric Boch Jr. has been over a decade in the making. Boch’s home in Norwood, MA exudes elegance and refinement. The property’s most recent addition is an elaborate but tasteful natural stone chapel and mausoleum designed by Eric Inman Daum, AIA.

Thanks in part to labor laws, environmental laws, and unions, American quarries have gradually become less dangerous workplaces with better pay and benefits. The sense of appreciation and trust among the three managers is palpable, and it’s clear they feel a sense of satisfaction in their efforts to make the job better and safer for everyone.