Natural Stone Countertop Options (and what is Dolomite?)

When it came time to decide on a countertop material for our upcoming kitchen renovation, we knew without hesitation that we would select a natural stone.  Quartz is all the rage, and it is a durable and lovely choice, but it’s not for us.  Quartz is a man-made product and, to us, the variability in coloration and veining inherent in natural stone makes it more special and unique than quartz.  In addition, quartz is actually less environmentally friendly than natural stone due to its extensive manufacturing process.

There are a number of well-known natural stone options for counters:  marble, granite, quartzite, and soapstone.  When visiting the stone yard, we discovered other, less common stones as possible countertop options.  Most were too pricey, or too bold… but then there was the most gorgeous slab.  Creamy white, with beige, greige, brown, and even greenish veining.  The placard noted it was a “soft quartzite”. 

Soft quartzite? in this case, dolomite

Confused, we consulted our fabricator.  She clarified that the “soft quartzite” stone in question was dolomite.  Dolomite is not marble, nor is it quartzite.  It is a sedimentary rock that is the result of limestone and lime mud coming into contact with groundwater rich in magnesium.  In terms of durability, dolomite falls between marble and quartzite.  It is harder than marble, but can still be scratched by glass and metal.  It is more vulnerable to scratching, chipping, and cracking than granite or quartzite.  Dolomite is less porous and sensitive to acids than is marble; however, etching is still possible and regular sealing is a must.  Regarding heat resistance, dolomite performs just about as well as granite and quartzite, but stone experts advise we never set hot pans directly on any natural stone surfaces.

natural stone comparison

With a little additional research, we charted the attributes of the various natural stone countertop options available to us:

	Soapstone	Marble	Dolomite	Granite	Quartzite
Scratch-resistance	low	low	medium	high	high
Mohs hardness scale*	1 – 3	3 – 3.5	4 – 5	6 – 7	7 – 8
Stain-resistance	high	low	medium	high	high
Acid-resistance	high	low	medium	high	high
Heat-resistance	high	high	high	high	high

In coming to a final decision, we eliminated soapstone and marble from consideration.  Soapstone is beautiful in many kitchens, but its darker color is inconsistent with the look we are planning.  Likewise, marble is gorgeous, but we cook, entertain, drink red wine, and mix cocktails on our counters (even holding aside the damage children could do), and I would not handle staining and etching particularly well.  We did not see any granite options that we loved, and the dolomite, while gorgeous, scared me similarly to marble.  In the end, quartzite won out (which you already knew if you’ve read my mood board article).  Quartzite checked all the boxes for us in terms of durability and beauty.  I look forward to sharing the counters with you once they are installed!