Quartzite is often compared to granite in terms of hardness and durability, but it’s important to know that these two types of natural stone are not the same. Since quartzite comes in colors that are trending right now, such as light gray and white, it is a popular countertop choice in today’s neutral-toned kitchen designs. It also looks a lot like marble, which many agree is the epitome of luxury when it comes to natural stone countertops. 

Granite is an igneous rock known for being very hard. Quartzite, on the other hand, is a metamorphic rock composed almost entirely of quartz, the hardest material on earth. Basically, quartzite comes about when quartz-rich sandstone is altered by the heat, pressure, and chemical activity of metamorphism. These conditions recrystallize the sand grains and the silica cement that binds them together, making it even harder. Both granite and quartzite are very hard, but on the Mohs scale of hardness (from 1 to 10, with 10 being hardest) quartzite has the slight edge. It measures around 7 whereas granite measures around 6 to 6.5.