Quartz Worktops

Quartz worktops are engineered stone surfaces made from around 90–94% natural quartz minerals combined with resins and pigments, giving you the beauty of natural stone with better durability. Because the surface is non-porous, quartz doesn't need sealing - it resists staining from wine, coffee, oil and citrus, and stands up to everyday scratches and impact.

At Gemini, we offer two quartz ranges: Minerox, our flagship quartz surface in 20+ colours, and Stonelore, our premium hybrid mineral range.

Quartz worktop prices in the UK typically range from £150 to £650 per square metre, depending on the colour, thickness and brand. For comparison, laminate kitchen worktops typically cost £50 to £150 per square metre. At Gemini Worktops, prices start from £210/m² because we design, manufacture and install every worktop ourselves - cutting out the middleman. 

A typical small kitchen (around 2.5m²) including worktops, upstands, laser templating, delivery and professional installation starts from approximately £1,303 inc. VAT, with 0% interest finance available from £55.70/month. 

The exact price for your kitchen depends on the total square metreage, edge profile, sink and hob cutouts, splashbacks, and any upstands or waterfall ends. For an accurate figure tailored to your layout, request a free quote with samples - we'll also send you physical samples so you can see the colour in your own light.

Quartz worktops come in every colour you'd expect from natural stone and many you wouldn't - from pure whites and soft creams to deep blacks, greys, blues, and authentic marble-effect designs. Our range includes white quartz, black quartz, grey quartz, neutral and cream tones, marble-effect quartz, and sparkle finishes. White marble-effect designs like Calacatta Goldlight and Capri Cloud are currently our best-sellers, followed by cool neutrals and deep-vein dramatic designs.

Quartz is non-porous and needs no sealing, unlike granite and marble which both require periodic resealing to resist staining. It's harder and more scratch-resistant than marble, and its colour and pattern are consistent slab to slab - natural stone varies. 

Compared to laminate, quartz is far more durable and scratch-resistant, copes better with heat and water, and lasts much longer, making it a long-term investment that adds value to your home.

Compared to solid-surface (acrylic) worktops, quartz is significantly harder, more heat-tolerant, and retains its appearance longer, though solid surface can be seamlessly joined and more easily repaired. For most UK kitchens, quartz offers the best balance of looks, durability and low maintenance.

For most UK homes, quartz is the best all-round material for kitchen worktops. It's non-porous, so it never needs sealing and resists stains and bacteria. It's far harder-wearing than laminate or wood, and it gives you the look of natural stone with consistent colour from slab to slab. Laminate is cheaper but scratches and marks more easily, and granite needs periodic resealing.

When choosing, weigh up durability, maintenance, heat resistance and porosity against how you actually use your kitchen. Compare every material side by side in our worktop materials guide.

No - we don't fit quartz overlays. Every Gemini worktop is a full replacement: solid quartz, laser-templated to your kitchen and installed by our own team.

Overlays are thin quartz sheets bonded on top of your old worktop. They're sold as the cheaper option, but the joins are a weak point around sinks and dishwashers - if water gets through, the chipboard or MDF underneath can swell and lift the overlay. They also raise the worktop height, which can mean plumbing changes, restrict you to simpler edge profiles, and do nothing about damage or unevenness underneath. Once that's factored in, the price often comes close to a full quartz worktop anyway.

A full replacement gives you a solid worktop with the edge profile you want and our 25-year warranty. Read our guide to quartz overlay worktops for the full pros and cons, or get a quote for replacing your worktops.

Yes. Replacing just the worktops is a cost-effective way to transform your kitchen without a full refit. We laser-template your existing cabinets and cut new quartz worktops to fit your current layout exactly, including cut-outs for sinks and hobs. Installation is typically completed in a single day, with none of the mess or cost of ripping out the whole kitchen.

Start with your cabinets — the worktop should either complement or contrast them deliberately, never fall halfway in between. Warm cream and white shaker cabinets pair beautifully with soft veined marbles like English White or Siena Amber. Cooler greys and painted navy cabinets suit crisp whites, grey veined designs like Carrara Vito, or dramatic contrasts like Grigio Volta. Darker cabinets benefit from lighter, brighter worktops to balance the visual weight.

Order free samples and view them in your own kitchen at different times of day - quartz looks very different under warm evening light than under daylight. Our design consultants can also help you narrow the choice during a free design consultation.

For 2026, kitchen worktop trends are moving towards organic warmth and dramatic veining. Homeowners are moving away from plain sparkles and choosing marble-effect quartz such as Calacatta Goldlight, and slimmer 20mm worktops are rising in popularity for a sleek, modern, architectural look. See the full picture in our 2026 kitchen worktop trends guide.

Both thicknesses are structurally sound - the choice is almost entirely aesthetic and budget. 20mm quartz gives a modern, European look and costs slightly less; 30mm feels more substantial and traditional, and is usually preferred for shaker kitchens, islands with chunky overhangs, or anywhere you want visual weight. Some edge profiles need 30mm minimum to work properly. See our 20mm quartz worktops and 30mm quartz worktops pages for examples and guidance.

Quartz worktops are highly stain-resistant and withstand brief heat exposure up to around 150°C, but they are not heatproof - the polymer resins that bind the quartz can be damaged by prolonged direct heat. We always recommend using a trivet or heat mat for pans straight from the hob or oven. For staining, quartz's non-porous surface resists wine, coffee, oil, and citrus - spills wipe away with soap and water, no sealing required.

Minerox and Stonelore are tested against the EN 14617 standards for stain, scratch, heat, impact and flexural resistance, and their resin is independently tested by SGS for hardness, tensile and bending strength.

We use Grade A quartz, sourced direct, and our resin is independently tested by SGS. Every surface is tested against the EN 14617 standards for stain, scratch, heat, impact and flexural resistance, and carries Greenguard Gold and NSF food-safe certification.

Worktops are cut on £3m of Breton cutting and polishing technology, hand-finished by trained stonemasons, and checked by our own quality team, separate from production, before they leave the factory. We typically hold over 5,000 slabs, so your job is cut from full, colour-matched slabs.

Gemini was the first UK company to adopt digital laser templating, and after four generations we have fitted more than 100,000 kitchen worktops.

Silica dust is a regulated workplace hazard, and it is fair to ask any supplier how they control it. Gemini holds WFF Audit Partner status, the highest tier for the safe processing of quartz, backed by more than 30 years of working safely with quartz and water filtration that removes silica risk in the factory.

Quartz is the most hygienic kitchen worktop surface because it is non-porous. Wood and natural granite have microscopic pores that can trap bacteria and liquids, but quartz is sealed by its resin bond, so it needs no waxing or sealing. A wipe with warm soapy water keeps it food-safe and looking new.

From your initial quote to final installation typically takes around 3 weeks: allow 1–2 days for your quote, about 2 weeks from template to install for most projects, plus the installation day itself. Because we manufacture in our own UK facility, we don't rely on overseas supply chains, so lead times are predictable. We offer nationwide installation across UK mainland, including digital laser templating for sub-millimetre accuracy.

Every worktop comes with a 25-year material warranty and a 5-year installation guarantee, both registered for you automatically and backed directly by Gemini, the company that made and fitted it, not a third party.

Quotes are fully itemised, your 20% deposit is fully refundable until your template appointment, and once you have paid it your quoted price is held for 12 months.