We’re constantly collecting questions from our customers and posting our answers here so you can make an informed decision when purchasing your stone or tile.
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Granite is an igneous rock, originates from the solidification and cooling of magma deep within the earth millions of years ago.
Marble is a metamorphic rock, originates from sediments under the earth millions of years ago.
Both granite and marble can be used for surfaces such as floors, walls and countertops.
Both granite and marble are natural stones and quarried from the earth but differences exist in their hardness, density, compact structure and general appearance.
Granite is a harder and denser stone and resists impacts, acids, stains and scratches better than marble.
Marble is a more porous material, surfaces show wear and tear sooner than granite, but is easier to be restored with honing and polishing.
Marble is not resistant to adverse weather conditions, which makes them suitable mainly for enclosed spaces.
Confusingly, the name ‘marble’ is sometimes used to refer to any stone that take a polish, although such stone may include alabasters, granites, serpentines and true marbles.
Upon close examination, the colour variations of granite appear as flecking throughout the stone while marble colour variations are more of veins swirling throughout the stone.
Marble’s biggest asset is its appearance, as its look is possibly more elegant and luxurious and the colours and patterns can be quite dramatic.
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Several factors contribute to the cost of every granite (or any other natural stone) colour and these factors may differ from granite to granite.
They include the quality, production costs, supply and demand.
First quality materials offer the finest processing and the most aesthetically appealing selections, and for that luxury, there is a surcharge over the lower grade commercial quality material.
The size and mechanization of a stone’s quarry contribute to its cost.
The rarity of the granite colour, the amount of labour and skill required to extract the particular granite along with the distance a shipment has to travel to the ports from the quarry all contribute to its cost.
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BLUESTAR granite/marble are processed with the view that they are going to be utilized for a contract-project, as this is the core of BLUESTAR’s business.
Importing materials and maintaining stock for contract-projects is quite different from importing materials to make pricing competition locally.
Reputed projects use only first quality materials. Materials processed for contract-projects are always first quality otherwise you pay liquidated damages and defect liability penalty after delivery and installations if materials are detected to be of lower quality.
In Lagos – Nigeria, only BLUESTAR and two other Italian-owned marble companies work reputed projects with ample evidence to attest.
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Engineered (quartz) stones are man made, made from 90-94% ground natural quartz and 6-10% resins and pigments combined together.
They are non-porous making them ideal mainly for countertops.
They are relatively new, but they have a loyal following because of their contemporary look, durability and the fact that they do not have some of the weaknesses of natural stone.
They are available in Nigeria from BLUESTAR and a few other outlets.
These materials to date are manufactured internationally by reputed manufacturers in first quality only with non-availability of 3rd grade/ commercial quality. The local market do not stock them because there are no corners to cut to make pricing competition.
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The old rule of thumb is never to use anything you wouldn’t use on your hands.
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BLUESTAR offer lots of Marazzi tiles for sale to the general public. The Marazzi Group, headquartered in Italy, is a global leader in the ceramic tiles market and operates production plants in different countries. The Marazzi brand and quality is the same.
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Onyx is a sedimentary rock, originates from water dissolving existing limestone, transformed by volcanic heated waters, and re-deposited in limestone caves as stalagmites and stalactites, thereby retaining an almost watery glow.
Onyx is an elegant and vivid stone that brings a unique appearance and dramatic appeal to any workspace.
The most inspiring feature about onyx is that it is translucent, and when backlit, will allow light to pass through to accentuate its exotic beauty, thereby creating an air of elegance and sophistication in a luxury design area.
However, onyx is a very soft stone, somewhat brittle, most fragile, and need to be installed where it will not be subjected to hard wear. The softer and more porous nature of onyx when compared to other natural building stones makes it more susceptible to staining, etching and scratching. Its tendency to scratch easily makes it a less-than- ideal choice for floors, as it does not hold well with regular use and require lots of maintenance. It is more ideal for vertical applications. In the Nigerian environment with lots of dust and sand particles, it is not recommended for flooring use.
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The larger the size of the stone tile, the more difficult it is to process, handle, pack and transport. Larger sizes tend to have a higher wastage. This makes them more expensive.
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There are wide ranges of prices for marbles and granites with lots of overlap. Cost of stone is determined not by type of stone. Cost is mostly determined by other factors. As a guide, mid-range priced granite and marble are similar in price.