Natural quartzite is the fastest-growing premium countertop stone in North America: harder than marble, etch-resistant, and priced from mid-range to exotic. This index lists slab prices by variety so you can compare before you ask a fabricator for a number.
Quartzite slabs run roughly $55 to $250 per square foot at Western stone warehouses (polished 2 cm, market estimates, August 2026). Mid-range Brazilian varieties like Taj Mahal and Mont Blanc sit in the $70–150 band; translucent and exotic stones — Cristallo, Patagonia — push past $200. Factory-direct quotes on the same Brazilian blocks processed in China typically land 30–60% lower.
Slab prices in USD per square foot for polished 2 cm (3/4") slabs, ex-warehouse. Ranges are market estimates compiled from published supplier pricing, August 2026. Factory-direct quotes from our partner mill in China are typically 30–60% below Western warehouse prices; verified factory pricing is being added.
| Stone | Origin | Slab price, $/sqft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taj Mahal Quartzite | Brazil | $70 – $140 | |
| Cristallo Quartzite | Brazil | $90 – $200 | |
| Perla Venata Quartzite | Brazil | $80 – $160 | |
| Mont Blanc Quartzite | Brazil | $70 – $150 | |
| Sea Pearl Quartzite | Brazil | $60 – $120 | |
| Naica Quartzite | Brazil | $80 – $170 | |
| Bianco Superiore Quartzite | Brazil | $80 – $170 | |
| Patagonia Quartzite | Brazil | $100 – $250 | |
| Green Quartzite | Brazil, India | $60 – $140 | |
| Super White Quartzite | Brazil | $55 – $110 | |
| Calacatta Macaubas Quartzite | Brazil | $60 – $130 |
Quartzite is a natural metamorphic rock — sandstone recrystallised under heat and pressure into an interlocking quartz mass. Quartz countertops are an engineered product: crushed quartz bound in polymer resin. The names collide constantly in showrooms and search results, and the two behave very differently: natural quartzite handles heat and UV, resists etching from acids, and every slab is unique; engineered quartz is uniform, resin-sensitive to heat and sun, and priced by brand rather than by block.
Price-wise they overlap in the middle: entry quartzites and premium quartz both sit around $60–90 per square foot installed in the US, but quartzite's ceiling is far higher because exotic blocks are rare. This index covers only natural quartzite; the engineered-stone comparison is on the quartz vs quartzite guide.
Four things: the block's rarity and colour (white and translucent stones cost most), veining drama and consistency across a bundle, thickness (3 cm carries a 25–40% premium over 2 cm), and finish (leathered and honed add fabrication time). Brazil supplies most of the market — Taj Mahal, Perla Venata, Mont Blanc, Cristallo — with the blocks shipped to processing mills in Italy, the US and increasingly China.
That last route is where factory-direct pricing comes from: a mill in China buying Brazilian blocks by the container and cutting, polishing and crating slabs or cut-to-size countertops at Asian labour and energy costs. The stone is identical; the layers of importer, distributor and showroom mark-up are not.
Several stones sold as quartzite — Super White, Fantasy Brown, some "soft quartzites" — are dolomitic marbles. They etch and scratch like marble. A true quartzite will not be scratched by a steel knife blade and will not etch from lemon juice; ask for a sample and test both before committing to a slab priced as quartzite. Each variety page on this index states honestly which category the stone falls into.
Slab prices at Western warehouses run about $55–$250 per square foot for polished 2 cm material (market estimates, August 2026). Installed countertops in the US typically add $40–80 per square foot for fabrication and installation on top of the slab.
Usually yes — most quartzites start where mid-grade granite ends. Entry quartzite overlaps with premium granite around $60–70 per square foot; exotic quartzites are 2–3× the price of any granite.
They overlap: Taj Mahal quartzite is priced like a good Calacatta grade, while Cristallo or Patagonia sit above almost every marble. Quartzite is usually the better value for kitchens because it does not etch.
Taj Mahal, by a wide margin — a warm ivory stone with soft gold veining. Mont Blanc, Perla Venata and Cristallo follow. All are Brazilian.
Yes. Brazilian blocks are processed in China at volume; slabs and cut-to-size countertops ship by container. Factory-direct pricing is typically 30–60% below Western warehouse prices before freight and installation — send dimensions through the quote form for a real number.
Change any variable — the whole chain from quarry block to installed countertop recalculates.
| Slab price, $/m² | — |
| Slab price, $/sqft | — |
| Quarry block, $/tonne | — |
| FOB slab | — |
| CIF slab | — |
| Landed material (CIF + duty) | — |
| Slabs needed (incl. 30% waste) | — |
| Container fill | — |
| Shipping weight | — |
| Material for your area | — |
| Fabrication + install | — |
| Total | — |
— saving vs warehouse on material alone
— saving vs warehouse on the whole project (fab + install are the same on both routes)
All numbers are market estimates derived from the index by a published model ($/m² = $/sqft × 10.764; FOB = 35–55% of warehouse; CIF = FOB + freight; block from slab yield). A factory quote replaces them in 48 hours.