21
Jan

What’s the Difference Between Quartz and Glass Countertops?

On this blog, we’ve talked endlessly about glass countertops and their benefits. What if you’re considering a different material for your countertop, such as quartz? You may have some questions, such as how quartz differs from glass. In today’s post, we’ll address that very topic.

Let’s begin!

What Is Quartz?

At first glance, glass and quartz may look a lot alike, but they aren’t. Quartz is made from oxygen and silicon atoms. While in its traditional form, it’s translucent, it comes in a variety of colors depending on the type. Here’s an overview.

  • Prasiolite or vermarine: Green
  • Smoky quartz: Gray
  • Rose quartz: Rose red to pale pink
  • Milky quartz: White
  • Citrine: Brown to pale yellow
  • Dumortierite quartz: Gray, purple, or blue
  • Blue quartz: Blue
  • Amethyst: Lavender to bright purple

What Are the Differences Between Glass and Quartz?

Quartz Is Naturally Colored, Glass Is Not

The first difference between quartz and glass has to do with the color options. Natural glass is colorless. Unlike quartz, in which different varieties have natural hues, if glass is naturally colored, it’s often a bad sign since it indicates impurities. For instance, if too much iron oxide gets in the glass, it will begin looking blue.

You may want to stick to glass products for your home, such as a countertop, but you wish you had more color options like you do with quartz. At CBD Glass, we offer a unique service called backpainting. With this, you choose a color for your glass, and we paint one side of it that color. This allows the glass to display a beautiful hue much like quartz would.

In fact, you have even more color options than you would with natural quartz. You can opt for bright shades, neutrals, metallics, and even a combination of colors for your glass countertop from CBD, giving you great versatility!

Quartz Can Have More Symmetry in Its Chemical Structure

Structurally, quartz and glass aren’t the same. The crystals in the chemical structure of quartz have more uniformity, creating a predictable symmetry. With glass, the molecular structure of its crystals is more randomized.

It’s not necessarily guaranteed that quartz will maintain its chemical structure over its lifetime, though. Should you expose the material to too much weathering or very high pressures, the structure becomes more like that of glass.

Glass Has More Lead but Less Silicone Dioxide

Both glass and quartz contain silicone dioxide, also known as silica. This silica sometimes comprises sand. Quartz crystal is mostly all silicon dioxide, upwards of 95 percent. With glass, the quantity is only 80 percent, leaving a difference of about 15 percent.

That said, lead, which can make the quality of glass even better, is more bountiful in glass compared to quartz.

Ready to Discuss Your Glass Countertop Project? Call CBD Glass Today

If you’ve decided glass countertops are right for your home, we here at CBD Glass are ready to talk with you. Our phone number is 416-398-9733 and our email address is info@cbdglass.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz
ww.quora.com/What-color-is-glass-naturally