The first and easiest route is to ask if the slab was manufactured in a licensed Bretonstone Slab Plant. When shopping for Quartz, buyers who choose to select a non-Bretonstone product should ask a lot of questions about the product specifications. It is best to be wary of cheap Quartz products from any nation. While the problem has subsided, it still exists. Some of those products even contained resins that did not meet food safety standards. Prior to anti-dumping measures placed on Chinese Quartz after American manufacturers and distributors launched complaints a few years ago, the US market was being flooded by cheap, poorly performing Quartz products. Some non-Breton slabs have been known to contain as much 2 percent more resin than non-Bretonstone products. Buyers have ended up with slabs that melt, bend, scratch, chip and stain by opting for cheap Quartz, that contains too much resin. Quartz made using techniques other than Bretonstone technology may be durable too, but it depends on the ratio of quartz to resin, the stone used, and the resin used. Why is it Important to use Bretonstone Technology? A Quartz company must be licensed by the Breton company to use the patented technology and special machinery. The end result is a product that exceeds the durability of a lot of natural stone and many other types of Quartz that are not manufactured the same way. Materials are poured into elastomeric molds that undergo a patented vacuum process called “compaction by Vibrocompression,” according the Breton company website. Manufacturers use the patented technology to achieve the high stone to resin ratio. The high ratio of stone to resin, gives Bretonstone slabs the hardness that makes Quartz so attractive and resistant to scratching, etching, chipping and staining. Mineral fillers, bonding agents and coloring agents are mixed with the aggregate to create the final look and adhere the product together. Some people like the super-smooth look of finely ground aggregate others may like the look of granite, with larger stone particles.
The mix of stone will depend on the look and feel the manufacturer is seeking to achieve. The aggregate make-up can also include granite, quartzite, basalt, silica sand, marble, dolomite, or virtually any other siliceous or calcareous stone. Popular Quartz brands such as Radianz, Silestone, Ceasarstone, and Cambria are made in these Bretonstone Slab Plants, as are many lesser known brands.īretonstone Quartz contains 94 percent aggregate stone, mostly quartz, according to the Breton website. There are roughly 60 Bretonstone Slab plants operating around the world that manufacture Quartz using the Bretonstone technology and machinery patented by Breton S.p.A., of Italy. Homeowners looking for a simple way to tell whether the Quartz they’re eyeing will fulfill their kitchen dreams or cause years of frustration, can ask their seller or fabricator if the Quartz was manufactured using licensed Bretonstone Technology. The appearance and durability of the product largely depends on how it is manufactured and the ratio of ground quartz to resin and pigment. Most Quartz is engineered using the same techniques and machinery developed by the Breton company. They all contain ground up quartz which is mixed with a resin that adheres all the bits of stone together, a pigment to give the product unique solid colors, or striations that mimic the veins of natural stone. There are a few basic traits of all Quartz products. More and more, engineered stone is edging out even the finest natural quartzite, granite and marble, even in high-end kitchens.īut as perfect as Quartz may seem to finicky customers, buyers should be aware that all Quartz is not made to the same standards. Not to be confused with the natural crystalline mineral, Quartz – the engineered stone – is a popular choice for a number of reasons: durability, consistent patterns, nearly invisible seams, limitless color selection, resistance to stains and scratches, and a price point that appeals to the budget-conscious.
In the world of countertops, Quartz has become a major rival to natural stone.