Everyone has heard about the "4 C's" and how they apply to purchasing diamonds, but did you know that they apply to Natural Stone as well? The color, clarity, carat, and cut (the 4 C's) are also factors in natural stone pricing. Many clients are fooled into paying too much for inferior natural stone because they don't understand this concept.

Color: How consistent is the stone color range and variation? This is extremely important when dealing with many marbles such as Bianco Carrara or limestone and travertine. For example, when specifying Bianco Carrara, the background shade of pure white with clean grey veining is rarer and therefore costs more than a yellowing white background with cloudier gray movement. The differences can be subtle, and the yellower background can look good, even "white", until compared with the more expensive material. A buyer must look at several pieces, not just a single sample to make an adequate evaluation.

Clarity: Since most stone tiles are not transparent, we like to discuss clarity in terms of the number of inclusions or voids contained in a tile. Think of stone as a piece of Swiss cheese and how many holes or inclusions it contains.

An easy comparison is to evaluate the density and weight of equal size stones which usually affects the amount and size of inclusions or voids. The number of inclusions also affects the amount of epoxy fill required for a filled and honed or polished tile. This aspect of a tile is very important to evaluate because once installed, new voids and inclusions expose themselves creating a less desirable look within months of installation. A buyer must look at several pieces, not just a single sample to make an adequate evaluation.

Carat: This defines the size and thickness of the stone tile. Larger size tile formats, like larger diamonds, are more expensive to produce for many reasons. One is that the quality of the block purchased to be used for production needs to be of higher quality since any abnormalities must be worked around and avoided. Another reason for the greater cost is that fewer manufactures have the machinery or expertise to work with larger size tiles, such as 36"x36" sizes or a uniquely shaped stone tile such as Hexstone.

Cut: How precisely are the tiles cut? Will they fit properly, with consistent joint sizes when working with patterns? How square is the material which affects how tight a grout joint can be set? Less expensive material often is not cut square, requiring the installer to use a wider and inconsistent grout joint. Also, a buyer should evaluate how finishes are applied to the stone. An example is when one compares a Monastere Finish(TM) to a regular chipped edge tile, it is easy to see the quality difference in manufacturing processes. A Monastere Finish(TM) ensures a more consistent joint size, natural patina look and feel, and contains no "jagged" edges that can easily cut feet.

All of this being said, one also needs to consider one manufacturer's commercial grade stone is another manufacturer's 1st choice. Since there are no formal standards for defining stone quality, it is left to each individual manufacturer to decide how to classify their stone.

In an effort to protect buyers from being taken advantage of by a bait and switch tactic, we recommend the following guidelines for ensuring that the natural stone purchased is worth the money paid for it:

Ask the vendor to lay out several hundred square feet of material from several crates to evaluate the shipment's overall 4 C's. If the material is being special ordered, have signed off samples defining the range and expectation for quality of the stone. Remember the beauty of natural stone is in the variation and movement and a full understanding of range should be agreed to prior to purchase. We always recommend for stock material to pick your own crates and if a vendor charges more for this service or resists, ask yourself what they are trying to hide from you.

Inspect the material at the job site prior to installation to make sure it meets your expectations. Just like you would not invest the same amount of money in fool's gold as real gold or cubic zirconium as a diamond, one should not invest for inferior flooring products.

Prior to installation and once all of the material is at the job-site, make sure the material is pulled from various crates to ensure a proper blending of material.