Caesarstone® Mineral™ - Crystalline Silica Free* & Low Silica Transition
Caesarstone® Mineral™ is a replacement for Caesarstone Quartz. The majority of our offer is now available in the Caesarstone Mineral low silica formulation, while we complete our final transition to Caesarstone Mineral Crystalline Silica Free, over the next 6-9 months. At the end of this transition we will have 24 favourite decors available in a crystalline silica free formulation.
From October 1st, numerous decors will reduce in price and all Crystalline Silica Free slabs will be at least 3240mm long, resulting in cost efficiencies and less joins.
For more details on Crystalline Silica Free click here
*May contain less than 1% crystalline silica, due to being manufactured on machinery that is also used to manufacture products with crystalline silica. For technical data statements please click here.
Frequently asked Questions
How can you tell if a Casarstone slab is low silica or Crystalline Silica Free (CSF)?
Caesarstone will refer to low silica and CSF slabs as being ‘Caesarstone Mineral™ Surfaces’ with the old slabs being referred to as ‘Caesarstone Quartz’.
Messaging on the stickers on the back of slabs will refer to either Low Silica or Crystalline Silica Free
What is Caesarstone Low Silica made from?
Caesarstone have developed an engineered stone formula that uses Albite (a type of Feldspar) to make up the foundation of the slab instead of quartz. Feldspar is a common, naturally occurring mineral which is used for the specific properties of being hard, durable, and low silica (up to 10%). In parallel Caesarstone has expanded the mix of materials such as glass, which contains 0% crystalline silica (the main ingredient in glass is amorphous silica which does not have the same respiratory hazards as crystalline silica*).
What is Caesarstone Silica Free made from?
Caesarstone Crystalline Silica Free surfaces are crafted from a unique blend of distinctive minerals and innovative materials, with the new range containing a minimum of 80% recycled content (such as glass).
Are there any changes in performance and usage with Caesarstone Low Silica?
Caesarstone mineral surfaces (Low Silica and Crystalline Silica Free) attributes, performance, fabrication and installation, usage and warranty are the same as Caesarstone quartz products.
We sent samples of Caesarstone Mineral Surfaces to local fabricators for testing and they report no difference in ease of fabrication.
For all Caesarstone Mineral Crystalline Silica Free surface products, Caesarstone follow strict quality processes, which includes:
- XRD (X-ray diffraction*) testing of all approved raw materials to ensure crystalline silica levels are below 1%.
- Finished products are XRD tested to confirm compliance with requirements.
- A sample from the first production of each batch is tested to ensure crystalline silica content is under 1%.
- New raw materials are sampled to verify that the crystalline silica content matches the supplier’s declaration.
- Quarterly sampling is done to ensure production lines are free of residual (trace) crystalline silica after cleaning.
- Finished products are tested at Australian NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) accredited labs.
* X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a versatile non-destructive analytical technique used to analyse physical properties.
As with all stone products we are resolute that safe handling practices and conditions are paramount and that there should be no change to health and safety practices due to the lower silica level.
Is there any difference in appearance between Caesarstone Quartz decors and Caesarstone Mineral decors?
Globally Caesarstone is not expecting any significant change in appearance, however the New Zealand market has always been more discerning than the global market. Our team are reviewing each décor as it arrives in New Zealand and variations in appearance will be communicated to the market with new samples being distributed as soon as practical.
More information
In depth Caesarstone Health & Safety information
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/hazards/crystalline-silica-and-silicosis
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