Architecture and interior design always included a need for durable and elegant materials, such as the stone work surfaces produced by Caesarstone. Since 1987, Caesarstone has been a paragon of style in the stone surface manufacturing industry, earning a seal from the Good Housekeeping Institute for their efforts.
Unique in its method for using quartz with the Bretonstone process, the company has engineered custom quartz surfaces for countless purposes and has the capacity to produce two million square metres every year. They have engineered stone surfaces in 40 colours and textures for distribution to the general public, as well as big budget architectural plans such as Project7ten;, which showcases Caesarstone surfaces in an effort to promote environmental awareness and inspire designers.
Caesarstone Locations
While company headquarters is seated in southern California, there are divisions within most European countries including the UK. It seems apposite that Caesarstone’s international plant is located next to the ancient Roman city of Caesarea, which is now the eastern coast of Israel. Inside the plants, the Bretonstone method of production is used: natural materials such as marble and quartz are reduced to a powder-like form and heated in 306 by 144 centimetre moulds to produce slabs. The slabs are then polished to one of three different textures, and pigments are added to the mix to achieve a range of eye catching colours. The texture the slabs are polished to depends how the slab will be used. For counter-tops, they are calibrated and polished to a smooth, shiny and nonporous slate; similar to marble surfaces and equally durable, the quartz slates can be custom made to fit the application of the customer.
Traditionally quartz has been used to make glass, but first it has to be procured in a mine. As it occurs naturally, it looks like a crystal. Its chemical composition is simply silica and oxygen, alongside other impurities like aluminium. It is ground down and heated to 2000 degrees Celsius (3632 ⁰F), which makes it pliable enough to be blown into glass globes, or poured into a mould to make window panes. Caesarstone’s work surfaces are 93% quartz, but they won’t shatter like glass, as the slabs are meticulously engineered and tested with terrifically advanced technology to prevent any such domestic catastrophe.
Good With Nature
Ever environmentally aware, Caesarstone earned an ISO (internationally recognised organisation for environmental management) 14001 certification for environmental protection, and has the honour of being the first quartz manufacturing company to be awarded by the ISO. In fact, 97% of the water used internally for manufacturing is reused, not unlike all the necessary materials for production of their building materials, a method derived from the business model of sustainability; that it’s cost effective is an added bonus. Caesarstone is a member of USGBC (United States Green Building Council) because it sets an example for other factories in regards to environmental awareness, and ultimately the sustainability of humanity. Project7ten, which is a model home, is truly an awe inspiring example of Caesarstone’s trade.
Using only Caesarstone’s slabs of specially formulated stone for counters, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) partners have created a home which is as environmentally friendly as it is visually appealing- the style is ultra modern, with beautifully finished wood aspects that give it a more contemporary and earthy feel (in keeping with their eco-friendly theme). In the bathroom, the Caesarstone worktops provide an easy to clean stark white surface, while in the kitchen, a heat resistant bar in bright green stone. Even the matching splashback for the sink is a Caesarstone slab.
Being as it is a manufactured stone, it has much more design potential than traditionally used stone for household surfaces. Caesarstone has made it possible to have a similarly gorgeous countertop in custom colours, with the added benefits of their product being less expensive than marble or granite, yet imitating either very well.