During a breakout group at the Stone Summit hosted by UGM Surfaces in Omaha, NE, several months ago, the topic of quartzite arose. With each variety having its unique set of characteristics, experience is a plus when cutting this material. The group, led by Natural Stone Institute President Buddy Ontra of Ontra Stone Concepts in Bridgeport, CT, discussed a host of aspects of working with these exotic materials.  

“The first time I ever cut Taj Mahal, I was told it was granite,” said Ontra. “When it arrived at my shop, I thought this doesn’t look like any granite I have ever seen. The customer asked for an ogee edge, so I am pricing it as if I am putting an ogee edge on Santa Cecilia. This was back around 2009. Days had gone by and the guys in my shop are crying because nothing was working. It was chipping and everything else. Since then, I have learned quartzites are unpredictable. The geological structure of this material is different.