What is More Expensive: Quartz or Granite?

Posted on Jul 31, 2020
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Azul Bahia Polished Granite Slab Wall from Arizona Tile
Featured Image: Azul Bahia Polished Granite Slab Wall from Arizona Tile

When choosing the best countertops for your kitchen or bathroom remodel, price is an important consideration. Whether you’re working with a tight budget or not, most homeowners prefer to compare prices and factor the expense into their decision one way or another.

When it comes to choosing between quartz and granite—two of the most popular countertop options—you may be wondering what they cost. In this post, we’ll answer the question of what is more expensive: quartz or granite.

What is Quartz and Granite?

First, let’s clarify the basics of these two countertop materials and how they’re different:

Viscount White Granite Slab Countertop from Arizona Tile
Image: Viscount White Granite Slab Countertop from Arizona Tile
  • Granite is a natural stone. It is mined from the earth in blocks that are then cut into slabs. There is a ton of natural variation in colors and patterns of granite, depending on where it’s from, what minerals it contains and even just from one slab to another. Each slab is made by nature and inherently one-of-a-kind, like the unique design of the Viscount White granite.
Lyskamm Quartz Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile
Image: Lyskamm Quartz Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile
  • Quartz is a man-made or “engineered stone.” Not a true stone that’s mined from the earth like granite, quartz is made of a combination of ground quartz crystals (a common mineral) mixed with resins and pigments to create deliberate designs, colors and patterns. In other words, quartz slabs are manufactured, not mined, even though they’re often engineered to resemble natural stones like marble or granite.

While both of these materials make beautiful countertops, like the Lyskamm countertop above, these differences are what inform their respective price points.

Aphrodite Granite Slab Dining Room Table Top from Arizona Tile
Image: Aphrodite Granite Slab Dining Room Table Top from Arizona Tile

Is Granite or Quartz More Expensive?

A general rule of thumb is that most quartz products are approximately the same price point as a mid-range granite. So, there are granite varieties that are cheaper than quartz, and other granites that are more expensive. Let’s break this down.

For starters, since natural stones like granite have so much inherent variety, their price points have a lot of variety, too. Granite ranges greatly in price, from fairly inexpensive to premium boutique prices. Likewise, many quartz products have a mid-range price, but some colors and patterns are more difficult to engineer and therefore may be on the more expensive side.

The cost of a particular granite has to do with a few factors, including:

  • The availability of the stone
  • The consistency of the pattern
  • The minerals present in the stone
Azul Platino Granite Slab from Arizona Tile
Image: Azul Platino Granite Slab from Arizona Tile

Simply put, a granite with fairly common coloration and a more consistent pattern will be on the lower end of the price spectrum. Examples of consistent (and less expensive) granite include Azul Platino and Barcelona.

On the other hand, a type of granite that is rarer to find, with an elaborate pattern and visible grains of colorful minerals like mica or biotite, is generally considered more high-end, and therefore more expensive. Examples of granite on the higher end of the price spectrum include Azul Bahia and Aphrodite.

When it comes to quartz, similar rules of thumb apply. A quartz with a consistent pattern is usually less expensive than a quartz designed with lots of movement and variation, like a marble-look quartz for example.

No matter what you decide, both quartz and granite are beautiful, durable countertop options for kitchens and bathrooms alike. Talk with an expert at Arizona Tile for tips and suggestions on choosing the best granite or quartz for your budget.

Whether you decide to go with granite or quartz in your home of business, you can see what it would look like with our Just Imagine Visualizer.

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