Granite vs Arenastone vs Silestone

Arenastone is made from quartz and a binding resin, impacted under great pressure to produce an incredibly strong material. Quartz is one of the hardest materials known to man - granite also contains quartz but the chemical make-up of granite is dictated by nature. This means that granite contains lots of imperfections (although many people see this as adding to the character of the stone!). Arenastone is far more uniform as it's made under controlled conditions. It doesn't have any weak points for example, which some blocks of granites do. Granite is graded based on its quality, but all Arenastone is the same high standard.

The main advantage of being man-made is this uniformity in both quality and appearance. You won't have to search around for a high quality piece of stone because it can easily be made in a factory. Likewise, Arenastone comes in a wide range of uniform colours. Some people prefer this from an aesthetic point of view, and it does mean that if a section of the worktop needs replacing it will be easy to match. Granite worktops on the other hand, because they're cut from a single block of stone, are very difficult to match if you try and get a replacement piece at a later date. Each piece of natural stone is unique.

Silestone is also a man-made quartz product, similar in construction method to Arenastone. The main difference is that Silestone features a special anti-bacterial property that makes it more resistant to mould and germs. This treatment is in-built and lasts for the life of the product. It makes it easier to clean - although you should never stop cleaning your worktops!

Silestone is also available in a whole host of different colours so would be a good choice if you have a particular design scheme to match, or just if you're looking for something a bit different.

When choosing new worktops the final decision usually comes down to price. Unless you have an unlimited budget or a specific colour-scheme in mind, cost often dictates which stone you end up with.

Quartz is an expensive stone, and because Silestone is made up mainly of quartz this cost is passed on even though the product is man-made.

Granite is often priced based on the pattern and its rarity. A very unusual pattern for example will fetch a higher price than, say, a plain black worktop. The strange thing is, this plain worktop may in fact be more durable than the patterned one because of its chemical makeup. Although this won't be noticeable enough to affect the worktop's performance, it is a little odd!

With granite worktops you can be sure you'll be buying something unique - great if you're planning on keeping them for a long time, but not so good if you change your kitchen or move house. Matching stone is sometimes impossible.