One of the reasons why Taj Mahal quartzite is so popular is that it beautifully replicates the look of marble even though it comes with the hardness and durability of granite. Slabs of Taj Mahal will feature broad waves and swirls of color along with interesting striations — not so much the flecked or mottled look that is common with granite, but smooth marbling throughout the stone. Colors are generally warm in tone, white with creamy tan or beige marbling, or sometimes sandier taupe shades. Overall, this countertop is light in color, and it works well in warm and neutral toned kitchens.

Just like any naturally quarried stone, Taj Mahal quartzite will come in slightly different shades, with several color variations available. Scroll down to see several images of different Taj Mahal slabs and you’ll see what we mean — each has slightly different patterning, and there is some variation in color between one batch of slabs and the next batch.

There is some confusion about the differences between granite and quartzite, and in particular, Taj Mahal quartzite is often called granite, even though these are two separate species of stone. For all practical purposes, granite and quartzite are very similar — both are durable, and both come in a variety of colors and patterns, suitable for kitchen and bathroom countertops.

But there is a difference between granite and quartzite. Quartzite is a metamorphic stone, which means that at some point in its formation, it has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. Usually, this means the rock was subjected to high heat or pressure while buried deep within the Earth’s crust. Granite is an igneous stone, which is a stone that forms when molten magma cools, solidifies and crystallizes.