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Stone 101: Pros, Cons, and Best Uses for every stone in Australia

This article is your ultimate companion, offering a fun-filled exploration of the pros, cons, and quirks of each choice. Become a true expert in bench top materials and impress your clients with your renovation know-how. Get set to elevate your kitchen with the ideal bench top material and finally be able to understand the question: What is the best stone for kitchen bench tops in Australia?

Hardness (difficulty to chip and scratch)

Best								Worst
Granite	Quartzite	Engineered Stone	Dolomite	Marble	Limestone	Porcelain	Travertine	Onyx

Granite and Quartzites are so hard that they can blunt knives! You won't have to worry about scratching or chipping on these
Engineered stone and Dolomites are a little softer and can scratch but will not chip as easily
Marble and Limestone is a little softer, scratching and chipping if they come into contact with sharp or abrasive surfaces
Porcelain can chip quite easily, even with minor bumps. It is especially recommended to not use this with an under mount sink
Travertine and Onyx are for looking only, very soft and brittle

Granite is the hardest surface

Resistance to staining

Best									Worst
Polished Quartzite	Engineered Stone	Porcelain	Granite	Honed Quartzite	Marble	Dolomite	Limestone	Travertine	Onyx

Granite, Engineered stone, Quartzites, and Porcelains are incredibly stain resistant. They should still be cleaned regularly but if it's not immediately cleaned up, this will not damage the stone.
Marble, Honed Quartzites, Limestone, and Dolomite need to be cared for and cleaned up soon after spills occur. If treated like this they can remain in pristine condition forever. They must be sealed and resealed as per stonemason instructions
Travertine and Onyx are very porous and even with sealing, very quickly stain.

Etching (reacting to acids)

Best								Worst
Granite	Quartzite	Engineered Stone	Porcelain	Marble	Dolomite	Limestone	Travertine	Onyx

Granite, Quartzite, Porcelain and Engineered stone do not etch
All other materials, when contacting an acid like lemon juice or tomato juice, will begin to roughen as the acid reacts with the calcium on the surface

Granites and Quartzites are not calcium based so they do not etch

Fixability

Best								Worst
Granite	Quartzite	Marble	Dolomite	Limestone	Engineered Stone	Porcelain	Travertine	Onyx

Most natural stone is easily fixed if damage occurs. If broken, they can be glued back together and if scratched or stained, they can be re-polished or honed to look almost like new.
Porcelain chips are incredibly hard to repair convincingly
Travertine and Onyx tend to be harder to fix too due to their soft nature

Resale Value

Best								Worst
Marble	Quartzite	Granite	Dolomite	Limestone	Travertine	Onyx	Engineered Stone	Porcelain

Natural Stone (Granite, Quartzite, Marble, Dolomite, Travertine, and Onyx) is rare and unique. It is a classic material that lifts it's surroundings into a gorgeous, luxurious environment
Engineered Stone and Porcelain

Luxury appeal/Timelessness

Best								Worst
Marble	Quartzite	Granite	Dolomite	Limestone	Travertine	Onyx	Engineered Stone	Porcelain

Marble! Marble is timeless, marble is elegant, marble is synonymous with luxury. Marble is the separator between an average home and a palace. A classic that will never go out of style.
Quartzite, Marble, Dolomite, Travertine, and Onyx are gorgeous, unique natural pieces that can elevate any home they are in
Engineered stone and porcelain are the cheaper alternatives to natural stone that are usually more suitable for cheaper builds or areas out of the visual space

Pattern

This one is up to you! Granite, Quartzite, Marble, Dolomite, Travertine, and Onyx are all incredibly unique and have a different visual style
Porcelain and Engineered stone have copied their styles from the above natural types so they will emulate the look

Summary

All stone requires at least a little looking after, but the Granite and Quartzites are the juggernauts of the kitchen due to their beauty and extremely forgiving nature. Dolomite, Porcelain, Marble and Limestone are can be unbelievably stunning in a kitchen, but require a little more looking after. Finally, travertine and onyx are absolutely gorgeous but are more suitable for other applications like bars, flooring, and visual show pieces.