The popularity of hand-made, artisanal crafts has seen renewed interest in the use of semi-precious stones as surface finishes for walls, benchtops, splashbacks and vanities.

Caesarstone has a range where slices of agate, quartz, amethyst and even petrified wood are hand-cut and bound to produce strikingly different surfaces, some of which can be backlit to enhance their unique shading and patterning.

The Concetto collection includes Blue, Gray and Brown Agates, White Quartz, Red Tiger Eye, Amethyst and Petrified Wood. Each surface piece takes a full week to complete by a single skilled craftsman, according to the company.

The brilliant jewel colours of deep sapphire and rich amethyst are just two of the looks on offer. Blue Agate is reminiscent of ocean blues and low tide turquoise and aquas while Amethyst is awash with intense purple and violet hues. Most of the surface finishes can be backlit to intensify the colour play and markings of these distinctly different crystals.

For earthier, warmer tones Red Tiger Eye, famous for its intense brilliance, is a dramatic combination of earth and fire, sand and sun. Imagine golden browns and rich ochres in a stacked pattern.

Petrified Wood Classic is another finish in this genre, an unusual crystal reflecting ancient tree trunks in a warm, tactile, dense array of blended browns, aged whites and greyed salmon.

White Quart is a virtually transparent white crystal with “barely there” delicate patterns and striations, while Gray Agate embraces the more neutral colour spectrum.

 

Pictured: From Caesarstone’s Concetto range, Blue Agate is reminiscent of ocean blues and low tide turquoise and aquas. Amethyst is awash with intense purple and violet hues.