Is Super White quartzite or dolomite, and will it etch?

Why do dealers disagree about Super White's hardness?

Architectural Surfaces lists it as quartzite, calls it geologically a dolomitic marble in the same paragraph, and states Mohs 7 to 8. The mineral dolomite is 4 or less. Either the lot contains real quartz, or the figure is optimistic. A scratch test on your slab settles it.

Will Super White etch from lemon or vinegar?

If it is dolomitic, yes, though more slowly and subtly than calcite marble. If your lot is true quartzite, no. A fabrication supplier reports lots of both kinds from the same name, so test a hidden edge and check again after several minutes.

A fabricator's acid kit adds a second clue. Calcite marble fizzes hard in dilute hydrochloric acid, dolomite only feebly or when the stone is powdered, and quartzite not at all.

How low is Super White's absorption?

Stone World published one quarry's figures of 0.10% water absorption and 0.27% porosity, with 268.33 MPa compressive strength. That is a single 2008 test, and the magazine says testing should be repeated for each project. Treat it as indicative.

Low absorption means stains soak in slowly, not that acid cannot attack the surface. Seal for stains, and expect etching on polished faces if the slab is dolomitic.

How does Super White look and finish?

The ground is luminous white to light gray, crossed by deep gray veins and smoky patterns. Polished shows the sharpest contrast. The Architectural Surfaces lot we opened is leathered, a finish that mutes gloss and, per one dealer, hides etch marks better than polish. Veins vary heavily, so book-matched pairs should be chosen together.

How does it behave in a bathroom?

On a vanity top, expect hard use to be fine and acids to be the risk. Hair color, toilet-bowl cleaners and citrus-based sprays are the common culprits. Use a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid polished finishes on floors. A fabricator should adjust cutting and polishing speeds for dolomite, per the supplier guide.

Where is Super White classically quarried?

It is a Brazilian stone. The Stone World profile credits a supplier in Rio Novo do Sul, Espírito Santo, with the tested material, and dolomitic marble in general forms when magnesium-rich fluids alter limestone. Trade names are commercial labels, so a slab's name does not guarantee its quarry. Ask for the origin on the lot paperwork.

Which finish suits a shower wall versus a vanity top?

For a vanity top, a leathered or honed face is the safer choice if your slab proves dolomitic, since texture hides etch marks. For a shower wall, polished is workable because walls see less acid contact than counters, though shampoo and cleaners still splash on it.

Dynamic Stone Tools notes that harder dolomitic lots need more polishing steps and longer pad time, and that rushed polishing shows scratches under raking light. Ask your fabricator how they will finish the slab, and avoid polished stone on a wet floor.

Does Pietra Fonte make pieces in Super White?

We don't currently offer Super White as a listed stone. If it is dolomitic marble, as most sources say, our marble work is made to order, so ask whether a similar white stone is possible. See marble and bespoke.