Quartz, it seems, may be the new marble.

It’s non-absorbent.  It can be used in the kitchen without constant maintenance.  And if it’s Silestone by Spanish manufacturer Cosentino, it’s treated with an anti-microbial agent to fight odor-causing bacteria.

The Almeria-based company has been working with natural stone for three generations.  But it’s found its niche with the quartz that it mines, then mixes with resin, and compresses, bakes and polishes.

The result is a stone that can be re-invented many times over, with a depth that reaches below the surface.

And it’s relatively affordable.

“We change the way it looks and bring it to market,” says Lorenzo Marquez, vice president of marketing at Cosentino.  “Its price is comparable, but marble can be more expensive, because it’s exotic.”

The company has brought out a new Suede look for the stone, with a matte finish that has no luster or shine.  It’s available in the Silestone Nebula series, a marble-like collection of six colors – with swirls, veins and earthy tones – with none of the issues that accompany marble.

“Marble’s a very porous stone, and needs maintenance,” he says.  “Quartz is non-porous and can be cleaned with soap and water.”

The new series is comprised of six colors: Altair, Cygnus, Doradus, Lagoon, Lyra and Merope.  They’re deep, base colors that provide a uniformity of veins throughout their surfaces, with tones of celestial rocks.  The Nebula colors are available also in a polished finish.

But polished is the look of marble, and this is quartz, with a neutral palette.

“The matte surface is what consumers and designers are asking for now,” he says.

Stay tuned.

For more information, go to http://www.silestoneusa.com/

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