Valuable Stone

The perfect kitchen is finished with marble countertops, right? Well, maybe not. Chances are when you're thinking countertops what is really going to make you happiest is granite. Similar in several visual aspects, granite, as opposed to marble, is resistant to heat and stain.

Choosing just the right granite, though, can be tricky. Because each slab of even the same kind of granite is distinct, the granite that ends up on your countertop could vary from the sample that the fabricator provided. Luckily for those in 417-land, Global Granite & Marble brought its third location to Nixa this past January. The St. Louis-based company offers granite, marble, travertine and limestone and opened in Nixa because of the city's proximity to home base and the developing relationship it had with fabricators in the area. The Nixa slab yard houses 500 slabs in 80 colors. You can walk right through their selection and pick out the slab that will provide just the right amount of oomph to your kitchen, bathroom, floor or wherever else you choose.

Tiles, trims and sink basins are also available, but according to general manager David Brotherton, 90 percent of the Nixa location's business deals with granite slabs. Global Granite & Marble doesn't sell to commercial buyers; it supplies to distributors. On the company's website you can select a stone fabricator that will mold your slab into your custom piece. The average Joe and Sally can go into Global Granite & Marble and choose just the right stone and then seek competitive bids from fabricators-who will buy your chosen slab. Global Granite will tell you whether the stone falls in the high, medium or low price range but won't give a specific number because much of the total cost will depend on the fabricator who molds the piece to your specific wants and needs. A certain kind of edge work or backsplash could increase the price.  (Fun Fact: Only diamonds can cut granite, which means fabricators have to use saws, sandpaper and other materials that are diamond-laden in order to mold the stone.)

Among the worldly selections are some natural stone slabs that were quarried in the United States, but domestic selections don't necessarily equal a lower price. Several factors including pattern movement in the stone, homogony and color can determine price. Brotherton says the majority of granite comes from Brazil, Italy, India and China. Limestone, he says, holds the test of time both in terms of durability and aesthetics and works great on floors.

Keep in mind, currency exchange rate between the United States and the country where the natural stone originates affects the price. Once or twice a year, Global Granite & Marble adjusts its prices, for this and other reasons.