Granite, cut and fitted by one Hawthorne shop.
Over 300 types of granite sit in the shop's catalog. You pick the slab, and the shop that templates it also cuts and installs it. The shop confirms what is on hand when you ask.
A curved poolside bar with a speckled top
Photo: a job from our shop. It may not be this material.
Care, in four lines
- Wipe daily with a neutral cleaner made for stone.
- Most granite does not need sealing.
- Know what a sealer does.
- Keep these away from it.
How granite is named
- Over 300 types in the shop's catalog
Granite is chosen by type from the catalog, then by the slab itself. No brand name sits in front of it. Browse the granite catalog.
What granite is, and what it is not.
It comes out of a quarry as a block, gets sawn into slabs and polished, and no two slabs match.
Granite is natural stone. Speckle, flow and color shift from one slab to the next, which is why the written estimate follows the slab you choose and not a catalog photo.
The shop lists over 300 types of granite in its catalog. Use the catalog to narrow by color, then look at the real slab before you commit. Which slabs are on hand is something the shop confirms when you ask; a catalog entry alone does not promise stock.
In geologists' terms granite is a siliceous stone, made mostly of silicates such as quartz and feldspar. The Natural Stone Institute says a siliceous stone generally resists most acids found in a kitchen, though it still advises against acidic cleaners.
See how granite sits beside marble, quartz and dekton in the side by side table, or browse the shop's photos of finished work.
Where it works
- Kitchens where lemon, vinegar and wine get spilled. An expert quoted by Use Natural Stone calls granite not sensitive to most common household acids.
- Outdoor kitchens and bars. The shop fabricates, installs and maintains natural stone for indoor and outdoor use, and its photos include poolside counters.
- Vanity tops, bar tops, islands and fireplaces, all on the shop's service list.
Where to think twice
- If you want to know for certain whether your slab needs a sealer. The Natural Stone Institute says most granite countertops do not need one and many gain from one, so ask the shop what was done to yours.
- If you need every slab to look the same. Natural stone varies, so ask to see the slab itself before it is cut.
- If you plan to skip the trivet. Many stones withstand heat, but the Natural Stone Institute still recommends trivets or mats.
Edges the shop offers on granite.
Four of the shop's edges, drawn in section: a square one, a softened one, a fully rounded one and an S curve. Ask for the edge by its shop name when you send your measurements.
Cambria's care guidance says natural stone can be damaged by sudden temperature change, especially near the edges, so keep the trivet habit at the corners as well as the middle.
StraightSquare corner, flat face. 1/4 RoundThe top corner eased into a small curve. Full BullnoseThe whole face rounded into a half circle. OgeeAn S curve: rounded on top, then scooped, then a flat face.
Our own sketches of how each named edge is usually cut, not scans of the shop's samples. See every edge and the laminated range on the edge sheet.
Finished tops with a granite style look.
Many granites read as speckle or as a dark ground with light veining. These are the shop's own photos of finished work with that look. A photo cannot tell us which stone a top is, so use them for the look only and ask the shop about any job you like.
Care and sealing, in plain terms.
These four points come from the Natural Stone Institute and from stone care experts interviewed by Use Natural Stone. Your slab and your sealer may change the details, so ask us about the stone you pick. The shop also lists cleaning, sealing and repair among its services, including chips, cracks, stress marks, stains and open seams.
Sources read 2026-11-11.
Wipe daily with a neutral cleaner made for stone.
One expert says that is all granite needs, and warns that dish soap can leave a greasy film that dulls the surface or streaks it.
Source: Use Natural Stone, how to care for your granite countertops
Most granite does not need sealing.
The Natural Stone Institute's 2006 position is that most granite countertops do not need sealing, though many gain extra benefit from a quality sealer. Use Natural Stone's experts lean toward sealing, and test with hot water: if the stone darkens within 10 to 20 minutes it is still absorbing. Ask the shop what was done to yours.
How often to seal granite countertops
Source: Natural Stone Institute, statement of position on sealing natural stone countertops; Use Natural Stone, how to care for your granite countertops
Know what a sealer does.
The Natural Stone Institute says the products are impregnators that repel liquid rather than seal the stone. They make stone more stain resistant, not stain proof.
Source: Natural Stone Institute, care and cleaning of natural stone
Keep these away from it.
Acidic cleaners, scouring powders and many rust removers. Some rust removers contain hydrofluoric acid, which attacks silicates, so it harms granite too.
Source: Natural Stone Institute, care and cleaning of natural stone
Four questions about granite.
- Does granite need sealing?
- Often not. The Natural Stone Institute says most granite countertops do not need to be sealed, though many gain extra benefit from a quality sealer. Use Natural Stone's experts lean toward sealing most granites. Sealing makes stone more stain resistant, not stain proof. Ask the shop about your slab, and read our sealing article.
- Can I put a hot pan on granite?
- The Natural Stone Institute says many stones can withstand heat but recommends trivets or mats anyway. Use one. A trivet costs little, and a cracked top is a repair.
- How many granite colors does the shop have?
- The shop says it offers over 300 different types of granite, and its catalog lists about that many. Which slabs are on hand is confirmed by the shop when you ask, so check before you fall for an entry.
- Can granite go outdoors?
- The shop fabricates, installs and maintains natural stone for indoor and outdoor applications, and its work includes outdoor counters. Which stone suits your spot is a question for the estimate, so tell us where the top will sit. Our outdoor kitchen article covers New Jersey winters.
Send the measurements. We write the estimate.
Tell us you want granite. We read your drawing and your layout, and the written estimate follows from them.