Close-up of pale quartzite with translucent white layers and sweeping warm brown veins.

Quartzite

Don’t confuse this with engineered quartz above — quartzite is a natural stone, formed when sandstone is compressed and heated until it recrystallizes into a much harder material. It behaves close to granite in durability, but often carries the softer, more marble-like veining that draws people to it in the first place.