Externally, although very difficult, an artificial stone and a stone of natural origin are still not distinguishable for “inexperienced eyes,” this visual difference, one might say, does not exist at all … But if you ask the question: “How can you still distinguish a natural stone from an artificial one?”, Then here are the main criteria by which you can calculate a copy.
Suppose you have a chic marble bathtub or 84 inch bathroom vanity with a marble top in front of you. Take a closer look at the very image on the stone’s surface, at that beautiful ornate pattern so characteristic of marble. If the design is uniform, rest assured, the product is made of artificial marble. The fact is that in this world, most of the processes are chaotic, including the process of creating rocks. In nature, you will never find identical fragments, fragments of natural marble.
But there is one caveat
You should not make hasty conclusions about the origin of the material from only one drawing. Technical work to create an artificial stone can be so high that, in the end, it will be complicated to distinguish a copy from the original purely visually, even for a very experienced eye. And, perhaps, this item will not help you to determine with a probability of 100% whether a product is made of artificial stone in front of you or from nature. Still, it can indicate a very high quality of an interior item made of synthetic material.
The weight
If you have the opportunity to measure somehow or feel the weight of a stone product, then you should know that an artificial stone is always several times lighter than a natural one, and there are no nuances here. There is only a not always feasible opportunity to lift a stone product due to its large size.
Temperature
At the same ambient temperature, natural stone is colder to the touch. Due to its distinct composition, the artificial stone adapts to the ambient temperature faster. However, both natural and artificial stones have very high resistance to different temperatures. So, you can safely order shower trays or cast marble countertops. These products will serve you and your comfort faithfully for many years.
The advantages of artificial stone
Composite material is much cheaper than natural stone, and at the same time, is not inferior to it in practical and aesthetic components. Moreover, due to technology and knowledge accumulated by man, artificial materials can even surpass natural stones in many aspects.
Ease
Yes, the same significantly lower weight is already an advantage of the artificial stone. After all, judge for yourself. The less the product’s weight, the easier its transportation and further installation. It should also be said that the comparatively lower weight of the artificial stone does not in any way affect the strength of the material itself !!!
Hygienic safety
Probably one of the main advantages of artificial stone is its dense structure. That is, the composite material has absolutely no pores (even microscopic), unlike natural. And the fewer all kinds of hard-to-reach air cavities inside the material, the less likely the appearance of various kinds of unpleasant and even harmful bacteria and microbes for your health. Already for this point alone, artificial stone can be called the most suitable, if not almost the best, material for the bathroom.
By the way, the lack of porosity also does not allow various kinds of liquids to remain for a long time in the form of a stain on the surface of your countertop or any other artificial stone product. After all, they cannot penetrate even a millimeter into the thickness of the artificially created material, so it is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth, and the stains are gone.
Plasticity and ease of restoration
If a trace appears on your sink or countertop made of artificial stone from any inaccurate mechanical effect, be it a scratch, chip, etc., this matter can be easily repaired by grinding or any other appropriate installation work, after which your sink or countertop will look like new … And there will be no reminder of recent damage. But when it comes to the stone of natural origin, restoration work will be challenging, if not even possible.
So is the high cost of natural material justified?
And although interior items made of artificial stone are capable of performing their functions for incredibly long years, the expression “for centuries” is deservedly applicable to products carved from natural stone.
However, natural stone has several certain disadvantages (which the artificial one does not have), and among these disadvantages, there is by no means a low price. Such a high cost is due to the place of extraction and the most complicated technical process for the manufacture of one or another attribute of the interior, since, delving a little into the process of creating such products, most often the same bathroom sink is made from a single piece of natural stone, and this is not machine production rather handmade. Therefore, the amount for one product made of natural stone can reach simply fabulous figures.
However, is such an investment justified? It depends on how to prioritize! But if we talk about artificial stone, then this is the material that has absorbed all the advantages of natural stone, eliminating the disadvantages of the latter.
