What is Low Silica Quartz? The Complete Guide

Get Clarity on Your Countertop Material Choices

Author

Tim Robertson
May 25, 2025

The stone fabrication industry faces an unprecedented health crisis. Young workers are developing silicosis—an incurable lung disease—at alarming rates. The culprit? Traditional engineered quartz containing up to 93% crystalline silica. As awareness spreads and regulations tighten, a new category of materials is reshaping the countertop market: low silica quartz.

But what exactly qualifies as "low silica," and how do these alternatives stack up against traditional options? More importantly, what does this mean for your next kitchen renovation?

Trouble in Kitchen Counter Land

Traditional engineered quartz countertops have dominated American kitchens for good reason. They're non-porous, scratch-resistant, and offer consistent patterns that natural stone can't match. However, beneath their polished surface lies a serious problem: crystalline silica content reaching 90-93%.

When fabricators cut, grind, or polish these slabs, they create respirable dust particles containing crystalline silica. Prolonged exposure leads to silicosis, causing irreversible lung scarring. Reports from Australia's 60 Minutes and American trade publications have documented cases of accelerated silicosis in workers as young as their twenties.

This health crisis has prompted regulatory action. California is implementing emergency standards for engineered stone fabrication, while Australia has banned high-silica quartz entirely. The industry's response? A rush to develop "low silica" alternatives.

The Low Silica Confusion: No Standard Definition

Here's where things get complicated. The term "low silica quartz" lacks a standardized industry definition. Manufacturers use wildly different thresholds, creating confusion for consumers and specifiers:

The Silica Spectrum:

  • Less than 1%: Cosentino's Q0 surface and Caesarstone's Crystalline Silica Free (CSF) designation

  • Less than 10%: Cosentino's Silestone XM range, some Caesarstone Mineral variants, Neolith sintered stone

  • Less than 11%: Cosentino's Dekton across all colors

  • Less than 20%: Aurea Stone's PHI and Symphony lines

  • Less than 40%: Cosentino's broader Silestone Hybriq+ range, some Caesarstone Mineral products

This variation means a product labeled "low silica" could contain anywhere from trace amounts to nearly half the silica of traditional quartz. Always verify specific percentages on technical data sheets rather than relying on marketing terms.

Major Players Redefining the Market

Cosentino: Leading the Transformation

Cosentino has overhauled its flagship Silestone brand with Hybriq+ technology. Introduced in 2020, this process blends premium minerals with recycled materials (minimum 20% content) while using 100% renewable electricity and 99% reused water.

The company's Silestone XM designation identifies collections engineered with maximum 10% crystalline silica. Popular XM collections include:

  • Le Chic: Featuring designs like Jardin Emerald and Blanc Élysée

  • Sunlit Days: Marketed as Carbon Neutral

  • Eartic: Using recycled glass, PET bio-resin, and Dekton fragments

Cosentino's Dekton sintered stone consistently contains less than 11% crystalline silica across its entire range, achieved through an inorganic sintering process without resins.

Caesarstone: The Mineral Revolution

Caesarstone is transitioning from traditional quartz to its Mineral™ formulation, replacing quartz with Albite (a type of Feldspar) combined with recycled materials like glass. The Mineral™ line offers three tiers:

  1. Crystalline Silica Free (CSF): Less than 1% silica

  2. Low Silica (10%): Maximum 10% crystalline silica

  3. Low Silica (40%): Maximum 40% crystalline silica

Popular colors now available in CSF or Low Silica formulations include 1141 Pure White, 5140 Dreamy Carrara, and 3100 Jet Black. Product labels clearly differentiate between Low Silica and CSF designations.

LX Hausys: NeoQ Innovation

LX Hausys introduced NeoQ™ technology in its Viatera quartz line, incorporating up to 90% recycled content while lowering silica composition. Specific NeoQ colors include Blue Ridge, Grand Mesa, Taj Duna, and various Calacatta designs. The exact silica percentage isn't specified, but the reduction is directly linked to increased recycled content.

Emerging Alternatives

Aurea Stone offers PHI and Symphony lines with less than 20% crystalline silica, featuring hyperrealistic printed patterns that mimic natural marble. Their ZERO line contains 0% silica.

Compac provides both zero-silica (Obsidiana Zero) and low-silica options in their Ice of Genesis™ and Unique™ collections, though exact percentages for their "Low Silica" designation remain unspecified.

Real-World Performance: The User Experience

While manufacturers claim identical performance to traditional quartz, user feedback reveals important considerations:

Durability Concerns:

  • Traditional Caesarstone users report easy chipping, particularly on edges

  • Compac surfaces show scratching from everyday items like keys

  • Sintered stones like Dekton and Lapitec are challenging to fabricate and generally non-repairable if damaged

Maintenance Reality:

  • Despite "easy maintenance" claims, some users struggle with cleaning certain finishes

  • Lapitec's satin white finish requires special products for metal marks

  • Traditional Caesarstone's honed finishes show persistent fingerprints and watermarks

Cost Considerations:

  • Low silica alternatives often cost similar to or more than traditional quartz

  • Sintered stones require specialized fabrication, potentially increasing installation costs

  • Premium low-silica options can reach $100+ per square foot installed

Comprehensive Material Comparison Analysis

Material Type

Silica Content

Worker Safety Profile

Homeowner Benefits

Performance Limitations

Traditional Quartz

90-93%

HIGH RISK: Requires stringent dust controls, silicosis danger for fabricators

Non-porous, stain-resistant, consistent patterns, wide design selection, proven durability

Susceptible to chipping (especially edges), heat damage from hot pans, UV fading in direct sunlight, some finishes show fingerprints/watermarks

Low Silica Quartz (<10%)

<1% to <10%

LOW RISK: Dramatically reduced dust hazard, safer fabrication environment

Similar durability to traditional quartz, eco-friendly recycled content, reduced environmental impact, innovative printing technologies

Potentially higher costs, limited long-term performance data, may still chip or stain, variable performance by brand

Low Silica Quartz (<40%)

11% to <40%

MODERATE RISK: Reduced but not eliminated dust concerns, still requires safety protocols

Compromise between traditional performance and reduced silica exposure, some recycled content

Performance varies significantly by brand, some durability concerns reported, quality inconsistencies noted by users

Sintered Stone

0-15%

LOW RISK: Minimal silica exposure, safer for workers

Exceptional heat resistance, UV stable, scratch/stain resistant, suitable for outdoor use, large format options

Brittle material prone to chipping/cracking, extremely difficult to repair, requires specialized fabrication, cleaning challenges with some finishes

Solid Surface

0%

NO SILICA RISK: Safe fabrication, potential exposure to other dusts (ATH)

Seamless installation, repairable scratches, thermoformable, non-porous, hygienic

Lower heat resistance, visible scratches from normal use, limited stone-look options, softer material

Granite

20-60%

MODERATE RISK: Traditional stone cutting precautions required

Excellent heat resistance, unique natural patterns, proven durability, adds home value

Requires periodic sealing, can stain if unsealed, heavy material, natural variations can be inconsistent

Porcelain Slab

Low/Variable

LOW RISK: Minimal silica concerns, safer fabrication

Highly durable, excellent resistances, non-porous, large format reduces seams, modern aesthetics

Can be brittle, edge chipping potential, requires expert installation, expensive to replace if damaged

Marble

<10%

LOW RISK: Minimal silica exposure during fabrication

Timeless luxury aesthetic, cool surface for baking, unique natural beauty, premium appearance

Prone to etching from acids, stains easily, requires regular maintenance, softer than quartz/granite

Soapstone

Low/Negligible

LOW RISK: Minimal dust exposure concerns

Excellent heat resistance, no sealing required, naturally antimicrobial, develops character patina

Softer material scratches easily, limited color options (dark gray/black), requires regular oiling

Recycled Glass

0% (binder)

NO SILICA RISK: Safe aggregate, depends on binder type

Eco-friendly recycled content, unique aesthetic, durable surface, heat resistant

Higher cost due to specialized manufacturing, limited style options, appearance may not suit all designs

Kreos Plus with Bioquartz - 100% Silica Free and a Technological Breakthrough

While the industry scrambles to reduce silica content, one technology stands apart: Kreos Plus utilizing Bioquartz from Breton S.p.A. This revolutionary material doesn't just reduce silica—it eliminates it entirely through an innovative manufacturing process.

The Bioquartz® Breakthrough

Bioquartz® represents a fundamental advancement in engineered stone technology. Created through pyrolytic transformation of common siliceous and feldspar sands at approximately 1,500°C, this process produces an industrial aggregate that's 100% free of crystalline silica while maintaining all the technical and aesthetic features of traditional quartz.

Key Advantages:

  • Complete Safety: Zero crystalline silica eliminates silicosis risk for fabricators

  • Domestic Sourcing: Uses readily available U.S. sand deposits, ensuring supply stability

  • Cost Efficiency: Lower manufacturing costs than traditional engineered stone

  • Environmental Benefits: Utilizes processing waste from traditional slab manufacturing

  • Regulatory Compliance: Meets anticipated future restrictions on high-silica products

Kreos Plus: Advanced Aesthetic Technology

Kreos Plus technology with Bioquartz is used to create surfaces that surpass traditional quartz in both safety and aesthetics. This advanced system features:

Dynamic Material Flow Control: Unlike rigid layered pouring in traditional manufacturing, Kreos Plus uses dynamic flow systems that allow aggregates and pigments to naturally blend, mimicking mineral interactions during natural stone formation.

Precision Particle Distribution: Multi-layer particle distribution and specialized vibration techniques create natural veining patterns with depth and texture that appear to move beneath the surface.

Controlled Pigment Diffusion: Advanced pigment injection technology replicates the organic movement of minerals through rock during geological processes, creating veins that naturally fade, split, and merge.

Multi-Angle Compression: Unique multi-directional vibration systems compress the stone mix in ways that mirror natural rock formation, ensuring randomized, irregular veining patterns.

The result? Surfaces that achieve the sophisticated patterns and organic aesthetics of natural stone while eliminating health risks and providing superior consistency and performance.

Made in the USA: Manufactured in the US by OK Stone Engineering, the combination of Kreos Plus and Bioquartz represents a leap forward in functionality, beauty and eco friendliness.

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