Granite, marble, travertine and other popular natural stones are not man-made; they are extracted from quarries all over the world after millions of years of formation. All that man does in the process is cutting it, polishing its rough finish and sometimes adding resin to cover the pores to maximize its performance.

Natural stone brings uniqueness to your kitchen

Each piece of stone is unique because it was uniquely made by nature as opposed to an industrial manufacturing process (as it is the case for engineered quartz stone). This implies that your countertop will never look exactly the same as you neighbors’ or anybody else’s even if it was extracted from the same quarry. In the case of exotic stones, the difference between products from the same quarry can be absolutely dazzling.

There are so many that you’ll always find a stone that will make your kitchen or bath breathtaking

With thousands of different natural stone quarries all over the world, nature gives us an almost unlimited range of colors and patterns to choose from. Mistones.com is a great guide to assist you in selecting from all these options. We let you explore as many as you want (we almost have 2,000 different colors for your to pick from) but we also guide in you in the process because we know it can get overwhelming and a bit stressful. Our goal is to help you find the best stone for your home!

Veins and other so-called “defects” are what make natural stone uniquely beautiful

Part of that uniqueness is the veins, fissures, pits or spots characteristic of some stones. These features should not be regarded as defects because they are precisely what makes stone unique and provide it with character and personality. In fact, stones that tend to present some of these characteristics tend to be much more expensive than the more standard ones that don’t.

Veins are lines of different sizes (thick or thin, long or small) that present a different color from the ones that prevail on the rest of the stone surface. These lines make stone a piece of art because they enrich the stone which, as a result, highlights its presence in the room (in a good way if combined properly with the other elements: kitchen cabinets, floor, sinks, etc.). However, while looking at a slab for a countertop, it is usually important to make sure that the veins are consistent across the slab and that they don’t concentrate on one side. In other words, when you chose a slab for your countertop you need to make sure that it cannot be divided into two highly differentiated sides unless your fabricator assures you that he can work around that given the layout of your kitchen. The reason behind this is simple: you don’t want your countertop to look as if it had been made with two completely different stones.

Fissures also occur naturally in many stone types. Since granite is composed by a mix of different minerals, some are not as strong as others and break. These fissures can in many cases be fixed during the production process making the affected area as strong as the rest.

Pits are holes in the surface of the slab that usually appear when the polishing heads go over small areas filled with sand or other easily removable materials. If the material is properly worked, those holes should be filled and they shouldn’t be a problem for the product’s performance on your countertop or vanity top.

Cracks, on the other hand, are originated by mishandling the slab or tile. This can actually be considered a defect which, opposite to what you may think might work as an advantage to you. Your fabricator may be able to work around the crack given the layout of your countertop or vanity top. Make sure to ask the fabricator to apply the discount to your final price!

Natural stone is the only product that will give a unique look to your kitchen, bathroom or floor and that will give you enough options to make sure you find exactly the color that matches your expectations.