Marble is very porous and on that note if they say there is a hard marble then I have to scratch my head or I'd have used it! It's beautiful I agree.

Mont Blanc is a Quartzite.

Elegant....far as we know Quartzite.

Shadow Storm...same thing.

It's not a a marble, the material is a Quartzite.

https://sciencing.com/marble-vs-quartzite-6667913.html

Material is mislabeled.

There are some new "quartz" products being made now by companies like Silestone or Caesarstone that look a lot like marble........you might use one of these products instead of real marble.

Mont Blanc IS a marble.

https://www.msistone.com/marble/mont-blanc/

https://www.marbleandgranite.com/product/mont-blanc-slabs

Shadow Storm is also marble.

https://forum.stonefabricatorsalliance.com/viewtopic.php?t=24869

And as far as I know, there is no "hard" marble.

To make things more complicated- Month Blanc is the spelling of this "quartzite". There is also Mont Blanc marble which I found one company calling Hard Marble.

A lot of stones that were once sold as granite and quartzite we later found out our dolomite such as super white or fantasy brown. They are harder than your traditional carrara but will stain and etch just as easily. My guess is if they are labeling it as a marble they have received feedback on it staining, etching or scratching and are trying to CTA. We sell Mont Blanc as a quartzite but honestly who even knows anymore. If it looks like a marble, treat it like a marble and if you are not prepared for any sort of wear and tare go with granite or quartz.

Interesting, I've seen Mont Blanc labeled as Hard Marble, Quarzite and I've seen it labeled as just marble and... I've had sales people tell me that it is hard marble but not labeled so!!!

I wonder if they are referring to the sealants now being used on marble? Our kitchen island countertop is marble, and it's certainly tougher and less prone to staining than marble I had years ago, but I believe that's due to the sealant that was applied, not to something about the marble itself.

Sharon, Thanks- that's a very good point and I have read that today's sealants are far superior.

So did you end up installing this? I have just had this installed and it is scratching already on the grey veined areas from small white bowls. What has your experience been with this since your post? I had conflicting labels on this product prior to installing as well. I was hoping for quartzite but this is not durable like I expected.

I was just looking at marble, quartzite and quartz. The way "hard marble" was described to me was that there are pieces of quartzite in it ( which you could see by a different luminosity) which made it harder. It would eventually stain but you seemed to have a several hour window where you could clean it before it stained) It's beautiful, but I agree, you have to go in expecting it to be a marble.

Jan Gilland, there really is no such thing as "hard marble". That is a term coined to encourage unsuspecting buyers to purchase stone that they otherwise would avoid.

Jan is correct, some stones have quartzite properties in them which make them more durable, harder than marbles such as Carrera however reputable stoners still label as marble or hard marble because they are not a true quartzite. Shadow storm is marble and if you are purchasing from a Stoner who says it’s more expensive because it’s quartzite then they are just trying to charge you more.

This is interesting! I’m trying to figure out what exactly crystal fantasy is. I’ve been told granite and hard marble. Any ideas?

Tara Tate No one can tell you what something is from a name. Stone yards can come a with a bogus name and tell you anything you want to hear. You need to TEST the slab. And if you want thoughts on it here, then post a picture - close enough to see the actual stone.

I googled the name and from what I saw in the results, I would say that it is a marble. (No such thing as a "hard marble".)

Thank you for your help! A friend bought the same one and was told granite. So hard marble really isn’t a thing? Boo! How do i test it?

Tara, forget the concept of "testing". The stone yard might have a small piece of the same name...but...that does not mean the piece came from the same block. Read this article.

https://www.factoryplaza.com/granite-counter-tops-quarry-kitchen/

We who love natural stone accept the issues that can arise. If you want "close to perfect" buy a man-made product.

Tara Tate - from that pic, I would say it's marble. As for testing, you need to test that slab. (And yes you should test - definitely).

There are many threads here on HOUZZ that discuss this. Read this one:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2438427/countertop-geology-part-5-marble-quartzite-and-other-favorites

Actually you can test. There is a whole thread on it but i can’t link it since i’m on an Ipad

Regarding testing...you can ask your salesperson at the stone yard to break off a small piece of the stone slab(s) u are interested in buying. They will usually do this or, if they have a sample already cut...just compare it to the slab you are viewing. When you are home, test for staining/etching with: lemon juice, red wine, balsamic vinegar and oil. I do a short and long term exposure of ea these items. Leave on for a few minutes first, then wipe. If it is delicate you will see marks fairly soon. Repeat theses steps but leave it on for an hour. Usually the longer exposure will leave some sort of mark...just see if it is easy to remove with regular cleaner or a poultice. Next decide if you will freak out w ghosting or patina which can happen w any natural stone. I personally like stone that tells a story, but that isn't for everyone.