Why You Should Choose Quartz Countertops for Kitchen?

Kitchen constitutes the central part of any home. After all, it is directly related to the health of the family because the food consumed by the family is cooked here. A well maintained and tidy kitchen not only looks elegant, but it also ensures good health of the family. Countertop assumes great importance in kitchen design. No kitchen could be imagined without a countertop. Countertop serves as the workstation in kitchen and most of the chores in the kitchen are performed on it. Today, there are many types of countertops available in the market. When you go for kitchen renovation or redesign, you should lay great stress on the selection of the most appropriate type of countertop for your kitchen. A kitchen countertop should be chosen wisely.

Gone are the days when only Semi Precious Stone Tiles Exporter is considered the best countertops for kitchen. Today, there are many contemporary materials available in the market, which are used for making good kitchen countertops. The White Quartz Countertop for kitchen is one such type of countertop, which is becoming most popular due to the attributes that it possesses.

Quartz is a mineral found in large quantities under the earth's surface. Quartz has a very high durability. This material is found in nature in several forms and thus found several applications depending upon the variety. A variety of quartz is used in jewelry as semi-precious stone; another variety is used for carving sculptures; yet another variety is used for making precision clocks (such clocks make use of a component called quartz oscillator); and, from some varieties of quartz decoration pieces are made. But, there is one special variety that is used for making quartz countertops for kitchens, which after going through industrial processes is called engineered quartz countertop.

Nowadays, the quartz surfaces used as kitchen countertops are mostly engineered quartz surfaces. It means that they are not 100% quartz, but they are composed of other materials as well. These surfaces have 90% ground quartz added with 8-10% resins, pigments and polymers.

The resultant material, which is called engineered quartz, is considered ideal for making kitchen countertops. This material has a very high durability, which is akin to the durability of a sturdy natural stone such as granite. Besides high durability, the kitchen countertops made of engineered quartz exhibit qualities such as smooth finish, glossy surface, and scratch, heat and stain resistance, to name a few. These surfaces also require less maintenance and they do not require periodic resealing like several natural stone surfaces. The above qualities make engineered quartz countertops ideal for kitchen use.

3D International Arts & Gems is a wholesale dealer of premium quality surfaces for homes, shops and offices. They possess a wide range of natural and man-made surfaces suitable for various applications such as in bathroom and kitchen countertops, flooring, siding, etc. Their product range includes Semi Precious Stone Tiles, Engineered Quartz Countertops, Floor Tiles and even more.

Quartz Tiles kitchen floor tiles provide a little sparkle

I studied geology at school and remember that we went on a field trip where I saw pieces of quartz that I found very attractive. I thought of this trip when I went to look at quartz bathroom tiles last week. I was in the market for quartz black floor tiles to replace the quartz white floor tiles in the downstairs bathroom.

I already have quartz starlight kitchen floor tiles and the love way that the quartz black sparkle floor tiles add a touch of shine to a room. Quartz Tiles flooring is not to everyone's taste but I have always been a fan of bright shiny floors as opposed to dull ones and even have some glitter floor tiles in the kids' room.

Quartz is a common mineral, silicon dioxide (SiO2), usually colourless or white, although it may be coloured by impurities and it has a vitreous lustre. There are several varieties of quartz, including rock crystal, amethyst, chalcedony and agate. It is used for White Quartz Countertops, flooring, showers and vertical surfaces, and is suitable for interior or exterior use, both residentially and commercially.

The beauty, hardness and utility of quartz make it a highly desirable material for countertops in home design. In addition to its natural strength, quartz is a beautiful stone that adds colour and warmth to a room. Though the cost to add quartz countertops to any new kitchen can be quite high, they remain the premiere choice in many new and remodelled homes. Quartz flooring is very popular for the same reasons and quartz bathroom tiles are very common.

Features and benefits of quartz stone:

One of earth's strongest natural materials.

Quartz tile stands up to the most demanding wear conditions.

Quartz natural sheen adds beauty while creating the industry¹s lowest cost maintenance floors.

Natural pigments give quartz tile a brilliant collection of lasting colour.

The high composition of quartz crystals in quartz tile creates a high traction surface.

Naturally beautiful with unique pattern and colour.

Heat-resistant.

Scratch-resistant.

Stain-, mold- and mildew-resistant with proper care and maintenance.

Resistant to most acids, such as soft drinks and juices, as compared to marble.

What are the DO's and DON'Ts of quartz?

DO clean up spills immediately to minimize damage to your Semi Precious Stone Tiles.

DO use trivets or mats under hot dishes and cookware.

DO use place mats under china, ceramics, silver and other objects that can scratch your stone's surface.

DO use coasters under glasses, especially if they contain alcohol or citrus juices.

DO clean surfaces regularly.

DON'T wait to clean up spills on stone.

DON'T use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub cleaners.

DON'T use vinegar, bleach, ammonia or other general-purpose cleaners.

DON'T use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.

DON'T use alkaline cleaners not specifically formulated for stone.

DON'T use scouring powders and abrasives because they will scratch the surface.

If you follow these guidelines your quartz black sparkle floor tiles will continue to look good and be serviceable for many years.

Malachite Semi Precious Stone - Mother Nature's Finest

I love Malachite Tiles Stone! Its swirly patterns and concentric bands of green are just beautiful. Mother Nature really excelled herself with this stone!

Possibly the earliest ore of copper, having been mined in the Sinai and eastern deserts of ancient Egypt from as early as 3000 BC. Malachite must rank as one of the most important minerals in mankind's history. It was discovered in around 4000 BC that heating Malachite in a hot fire reduced it to native copper. This was probably the first smelting of metal from an ore. It was used as a pigment for wall painting, and in glazes and to colour glass. The mineral was used in Egypt as cosmetic eye paint from at least 3000 BC. Its use as an eye paint may have been an attempt to ward off eye infections - it is now known that the green eye paint containing Malachite had medicinal properties.

Its name may be derived from the Greek word for its colour, 'malache' (mallow), or because of its low hardness, from the Greek 'malakos' (soft).

Malachite Slabs sometime occurs intergrown with Azurite or Chrysocolla. The now rare Eliat stone from Israel is a combination of Malachite, Chrysocolla and Turquoise.

Malachite is a powerful Semi Precious Gemstone Tiles but one that needs to be handled with caution. It is toxic and should only be used in its polished form. Malachite is an important protection stone as it amplifies positive energy.

Psychologically, Malachite is a stone of transformation. Life is lived more intensely under the influence of this adventurous stone, which encourages risk taking and change. It mercilessly shows what is blocking your spiritual growth. Malachite draws out deep feelings and psychosomatic causes, breaks unwanted ties and outworn patterns, and teaches how to take responsibility for ones actions, thoughts and feelings. It releases inhibitions and encourages expressing feeling. This stone develops empathy with other people, showing how it would feel to be in their place. It alleviates shyness, and supports friendships.

Mentally, Malachite goes to the core of a problem, enhancing intuition and insight. It can help alleviate mental disturbances, including psychiatric illness (not sure about that! lol).

Medically, Malachite is an extremely versatile healing stone. It is particularly useful for cramps, including menstrual cramps, and facilitates childbirth - it has been called the Midwife stone!!! (Not sure about that but if using it in childbirth and it doesn't relieve labour pains you can always throw it at your partner!!). Also reputed to help with the immune system, arthritis, broken bones(!), toothache and gum problems.