Trends
The rise of Italian marble: stronger, smarter, more stain-resistant than ever
The marble arriving today isn't the marble of a decade ago — modern quarrying and resin technology have made Italy's classics far more livable.
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Notes on stone.
Care, provenance, and the craft of choosing well — from the people who live it every day.
Articles
Guide
Marble vs. quartzite: choosing for a busy kitchen
They look alike and behave very differently. Here's how to pick the right one for how you actually cook and live.
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Craft
Bookmatching, explained
Why mirrored veining turns two slabs into one dramatic statement — and how to plan for it.
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The House
Why we import directly
Cutting out the middlemen means better selection, more consistency, and a team that's actually stood in front of the block.
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Provenance
The journey of a slab, from quarry to gallery
How a block becomes a countertop — the cut, the polish, the ocean crossing, and every hand it passes through.
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Guide
How to find a stone when you only have a photo
You saw a countertop you loved and have no idea what it is called. You do not need the name. Here is how to go from a saved photo to the real slabs we have on the floor.
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Guide
Semi-thru-body printed quartz: how ours is made, and why we still recommend mitered edge
Every printed quartz at CRS is semi-thru-body: the slab base is built to match the pattern before it is printed, so the veining reads as though it runs into the stone. Here is how that works, and why we still recommend a mitered edge.
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Guide
Where to see natural stone slabs in Austin
A slab yard is simply a place that stocks full slabs you can walk up to and see in person, not a store of samples or renderings. Here is what to expect from ours, and how to make the most of a visit.
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Guide
Printed quartz: what to know before you choose it
Digitally-printed veining has made quartz more dramatic than ever — here's how it works, where it shines, and the trade-offs worth understanding first.
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Visiting
How to walk a slab yard and actually choose well
What to bring, what to look at, and the questions worth asking — so a visit ends in a decision instead of a headache.
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Guide
Porcelain, honestly: where large-format surfaces make sense
Not stone, not quartz — a third category with real strengths and real limits. What porcelain does well, and where it asks more of your fabricator.
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Guide
Quartz vs. quartzite: one letter apart, and not the same thing at all
They share a syllable and almost nothing else. What actually separates them, and the labelling problem that catches people out.
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Sealing your stone: what you actually need to know
Which stones need it, how often, and why a quick water test tells you more than any label ever will.
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Guide
Polished, honed, or leathered: what a finish actually changes
The same stone in two finishes can look like two different materials. Here is what each one does to colour, upkeep, and how wear shows.
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Guide
How to read a slab: veining, movement, and character
Every natural slab is unique. Here's how to actually look at one before you commit to it.
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Trends
Taj Mahal quartzite: the real thing, and the stones that borrow its name
The most sought-after quartzite in the world comes from a single Brazilian quarry. Here is where it comes from, how we grade it, and why we never call a look-alike by its name.
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