If you are considered using stone for your house decoration, we offer you onyx and quartz stones especially for the building floor or in the kitchen and bath. To have the best and suitable selection of these stones, you should pay attention to the differences between quartz and onyx stone in addition to the interior decoration planning and the building space. In the following, we help you to select the best alternative of the onyx and quartz stone for your building by informing you about the differences between these two types of stone.
It is completely clear that onyx is a stylish and luxurious material and makes the space very beautiful and dazzling. Marble has been known as the stone of gods and kings from ancient times and has been used extensively in the construction of ancient monuments.
Although the artificial stone of quartz imitates the natural beauty of natural stone, it does not seem to be able to match the natural stone in beauty and radiance.
Of the apparent differences between quartz and onyx in appearance, it can be said that quartz exists in different colors such as white, pink (rose gold), gray, purple, and brown to black. Because synthetic quartz plates are engineered, they are available in a variety of colors that nature cannot provide.
But onyx only exists in white, yellow, purple, gray, red, green, and black. It is interesting to know that in ancient times, just by looking at the color of onyx, they could find where a piece of onyx belongs.
In terms of the apparent pattern of stone, quartz, unlike onyx, always has a uniform appearance in its color and pattern. So, if you are looking for a color and pattern suitable for your home, quartz stone is the suitable choice for you.
But if the inconsistency in the stone space is not important to you and you like the naturalness of the stone, onyx can be a great choice. Because natural stone is short and the two pieces cannot be integrated.
Quartz is harder than onyx, so it does not break when cut and used. Natural onyx is fragile. It may crack during repair and invisible cracks appeared when the temperature changes highly.
Quartz does not require special maintenance, because it performs well with prolonged exposure to moisture, and it is not any need to remove the drops of water immediately.
Quartz is dense and not porous so no substance can penetrate it. This helps keep the kitchen surfaces hygienic and keeps germs and bacteria out of the quartz countertop. Also, the non-porous nature of quartz stone and almost its zero water absorption feature makes it very resistant to stains such as tea, wine, coffee, and oil.
But onyx flooring must be properly sealed to have this unique feature. Natural rocks such as onyx have very high water absorption due to the existence of pores and veins and they lose their original shape after some time. Therefore, natural stone is not used in places with high drainage.
Unlike onyx, quartz is highly resistant to scratches and cracks. While natural stones are scratchable and after a short time, lines and scratches appear on them.
Quartz has higher thermal resistance than natural stone. Natural stones suffer heat shock when exposed to heat.
Onyx requires regular sealing, while quartz never needs it. Marble stones need the care to appear beautiful and radiant. Usually, a protective layer is placed on the onyx to prevent it from being dark. It is recommended to change the onyx cover every year and to seal the stones. As we noted before, quartz is highly resistant to stainability and is antibacterial.
Besides, this quartz stone retains its brilliance for many years without any need to polish, wax or preservative.
Unlike quartz, onyx has a high architectural value. onyx is widely used in sculptures due to its transparency, radiance, and gloss, as well as its strength.
The strength of onyx along with features such as smoothness and easy cutting has made it one of the best stones for sculpture because it looks uniform in all directions when well carved.
One of the most famous sculptures made of onyx is the statue of Artemis, the Greek goddess.
But quartz is mostly used as jewelry. Quartz is mostly used in making jewelry such as rings. Quartz jewelry and ornaments are available in a wide variety of markets and you can easily find the quartz you want. There are various types of jewelry made of quartz in the market and the intended quartz can be found easily.
Onyx is generally more expensive than quartz. Also, onyx requires regular maintenance and long-term costs. If long-term costs and regular maintenance are difficult for you, then onyx is probably not the right choice for you. Quartz is chipper than onyx and does not need sealing so long-term costs are reduced. However, quartz is more expensive than an artificial stone because of its unique performance and production process.
Stones have been always regarded and interested to be used for the planning and design of homes, companies and organizations, and even public places but the best result is obtained when the stone is chosen regarding features and differences of each stone.
