Lustro Italiano > Product Uses > Engineered Quartz > Quartz Composition

What is Quartz Made Of?

When browsing through various quartz providers' websites, you will find that quartz surfaces are are composed of the following:

  • The Mineral Quartz
  • Resins
  • Pigment or Some Other Coloring Agent
  • Other Materials In Some Cases

The percentages of these materials will vary from brand to brand but quartz surfaces will, for the most part, contain some or all of these materials. Let's look at each of these materials individually.

Quartz Surfaces Contain the Mineral

The quartz that is in this engineered material is very hard. In fact, the sales information used by the quartz providers highlight this fact to show how durable the surface is. The quartz providers also point out that since there is so much of this mineral in the surface, the surface could in fact be referred to as natural stone.

Coloring Agent

The coloring agents such as coloring pastes or color pigments used in quartz are generally inert, so they only affect the visual appearance of the end product. However, there is one ingredient in a quartz surface that brings benefits. And along with those benefits, a need for caution.

Resin Requires Care

As we have mentioned, the quartz and the color do not require special care for the most part. However, resinous materials will react to certain kinds of solutions. For example, liquids that are highly alkaline (or basic) will mar the appearance.

Another caution that must be kept in mind is that the resin can be harmed by certain types of acid or by prolonged exposure to acidic substances for an extended time. Perhaps this is why specific brands of cleaners are named as approved by various quartz companies. Notice what is stated on the care and maintenance page of one quartz surface website:

"Lime removers are highly concentrated, acidic chemicals, and damage the surface while removing the lime on your quartz surface. Most of the commercially available chemical substances are concentrated and are very likely to contain a highly acidic (pH:0-4) or highly basic (pH:10-12) chemical composition. It is recommended to dilute such chemical products before use (e.g. one lid of chemical per bucket of water)."

Recycled Glass In Quartz

As mentioned at the outset, there are occasionally other materials mixed into the quartz surface. Often times, the added materials are for increasing the beauty or adding a mosaic look to the surface. One material that is used for this purpose is recycled glass. For example, one quartz provider that deals in recycled glass & quartz is Curava.

As you can see, quartz engineered surfaces are composed of a variety of materials. Each one playing a role in the appearance of the surface. Because it is engineered, quartz can be constructed to either replicate natural stone (to a certain degree), or it can be manufactured to look extraordinary; even futuristic.