Compliance
No. The prohibition that has applied across Australia since 1 July 2024 covers engineered stone: an artificial product made by combining natural stone with other constituents such as resins, containing at least 1 per cent crystalline silica. Quarried natural stone is not an engineered product and sits outside that definition. Two cautions. Some natural stones, quartzite especially, are naturally high in crystalline silica, and the general duties for working safely with any material containing crystalline silica still apply when it is cut, ground or polished. This is general information, not legal advice: confirm your own obligations with SafeWork NSW.
Source: Safe Work Australia: engineered stone ban · SafeWork NSW
No. Porcelain and sintered stone are expressly excluded from the definition of engineered stone in the model work health and safety regulations, so they can be supplied, fabricated and installed. They are made by pressing and firing mineral powders rather than binding crushed stone in resin. Since 1 January 2025 the import of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs is also prohibited, and that prohibition does not apply to sintered stone either. Dust-control duties still apply when cutting or polishing any material containing crystalline silica, so fabricate to the manufacturer's guidance. General information, not legal advice.
Source: Safe Work Australia: engineered stone ban · Australian Border Force: engineered stone imports
For sintered products we supply the manufacturer's technical data sheet and, where the manufacturer publishes one, the safety data sheet or silica declaration. For natural stone we supply the quarry and country of origin and pass on any composition data the quarry provides. Tell us the product and we will send what exists for it. One caution: regulators treat a supplier's declaration as information rather than proof, so a fabricator who needs certainty about silica content should have the material tested by a laboratory.
Buying and trade
Stocked slabs and sheets can be allocated straight away and delivered as soon as fabrication is booked. Indent material depends on the quarry or factory and on shipping, so we give a firm date with the quote rather than a rule of thumb.
Sintered sheets are stocked in 12 mm and 20 mm, with a few designs in 12 mm only; each product page lists what is held. Natural stone thickness is set when the block is cut and varies from slab to slab, so ask us for the current slabs in the stone you are considering.
Stocked slabs can be held while drawings are finalised, with priority for trade accounts. Ask us about hold periods and deposits when you enquire.
Either, by arrangement. Most slabs go straight to your stonemason or fabricator. Slabs travel on A-frames and need a forklift or crane at the receiving end, so site deliveries are planned around that.
Yes, and we encourage it. Every slab in stock can be viewed by appointment in Sydney or Newcastle, pulled from the rack so you can see the whole face. Bring your drawings and samples of anything the stone will sit beside.
No. We supply the stone and your stonemason or fabricator cuts and installs it. Keeping the two separate lets us hold a broad range of stock and recommend a fabricator without a conflict of interest. If you do not have one, ask us.
Use the contact form and choose Trade account application, or call 0407 299 931. Builders, stonemasons and designers on account get priority on stocked slabs and holds for jobs in documentation.
Care
Marble handles heat well, but sudden temperature change on a sealed surface can mark it. Use a trivet, mostly to protect the sealer rather than the stone.
Yes, if acid touches it. Etching is a change in sheen, not a stain, and it is part of how marble ages. A honed finish hides it far better than polished.
Identify it first. Oil-based stains need a poultice with a solvent; water-based ones a hydrogen peroxide poultice. Send us a photo before you try anything abrasive.
No. Sealing is done after fabrication and installation, by your stonemason, once the edges and cut-outs are finished.