Buying countertops
Find out which stones fit your kitchen, bathroom, lifestyle, and maintenance tolerance.
Choose the right natural stone.
Care for it correctly.
Avoid expensive mistakes.
Featured stone1 / 787
Calacatta Gold
Italy · Apuan Alps
High acid risk|Mohs 3–4
Care plan ready
3 steps · MB-5 sealer
787+
Natural Stones
11
Stone Types
15
Application Categories
9
Languages
A small stone mistake can become an expensive one.
Choosing the wrong stone, using the wrong cleaner, skipping sealing, or following bad advice can lead to staining, etching, surface damage, and costly replacement decisions.
Stone Intelligence gives you a reliable place to make smarter stone decisions before you buy — and better care decisions after installation.
Know which stone fits your space and lifestyle
Understand how much maintenance your surface really needs
Get care guidance tailored to the stone and application
Avoid preventable damage and bad recommendations
Why subscribe
Why homeowners subscribe
01
Choose with confidence
Compare natural stones by appearance, durability, porosity, and best-use case before you spend thousands.
02
Avoid damage
Learn how to prevent common problems like etching, staining, sealing mistakes, and improper cleaning.
03
Care for your exact stone
Get practical maintenance guidance based on the type of stone and where it's installed.
04
Download expert guides
Access buyer's guides, owner's guides, and stone-specific PDFs you can actually use.
787 natural stones
Indexed, categorized, and growing weekly.
Homeowner-focused
Written for buyers and owners, not the trade.
Built for real decisions
Before you buy. After it's installed.
9 languages
Stone is global. So is our guidance.
CoverageMarble315·Granite238·Quartzite77·Limestone35·Travertine28·Onyx21+ 5 more types
Free knowledge.
Paid decision tools.
No account needed
Free Access
- Browse the stone library
- Explore stone profiles
- Learn the basics of natural stone
- Discover stone categories and applications
Best Value
Membership
$19.99/year
Low-cost annual access designed to help you avoid high-cost stone mistakes.
- Interactive Stone Selector
- Buyer's and Owner's Guide PDFs
- Application-specific care instructions
- Maintenance and sealing guidance
- Product recommendations
- Stone comparison and decision support
- Full member access across the platform
Use cases
Built for the decisions people actually make
Protecting marble and limestone
Understand acid-sensitive stone, etching risks, and how to reduce long-term damage.
Comparing stone options
Get practical guidance when deciding between marble, quartzite, granite, travertine, limestone, and more.
Caring for installed stone
Know what to clean with, when to seal, and how to protect your surface over time.
Why we built this
Built by people who repair stone every day.
Stone Intelligence comes from Sureshine — a team that has been restoring natural stone in homes, hotels, and commercial spaces across California for more than 20 years. We built this platform because we see the same preventable mistakes every week: the wrong sealer, the wrong cleaner, the wrong stone for the space.
Homeowners deserve clear, stone-specific guidance — not generic blog advice. That’s what this is.
20+
Years restoring natural stone
787+
Stones catalogued and growing
49+
Countries of origin covered
What members get
Actual outputs, not vague features
Previews from the actual member experience — the kind of concrete guidance you can take to a slab yard, hand to a contractor, or keep in your kitchen drawer.
stoneintelligence.ai
Your answers
KitchenLow maintenanceWarm tones
7 stones match
Sort: Best fit
Top match94% fit
Taj Mahal Quartzite
Hard · low acid risk · warm cream
87% fit
Crema Marfil Marble
Warm classic · moderate care
82% fit
Calacatta Gold Marble
Dramatic veining · acid sensitive
78% fit
Nero Marquina
Bold contrast · moderate care
Show 3 more · Save this shortlist
Stone Selector
Answer a few questions about your space and lifestyle. Get a ranked shortlist of stones that actually fit.
stoneintelligence.ai
PDF · 14 pg
Buyer’s Guide
Calacatta Gold Marble
Origin
Italy
Mohs
3–4
Acid
High
Price
$$$
In this guide
01What to ask
02How to inspect
03Pattern matching
04Seam planning
05Cost + budget
06Red flags
What to ask the slab yard
- Slab photos in natural light
- Confirm origin + block number
- Check for iron oxidation risk
- Budget 15% for pattern match
Red flag
Walk away if seller won’t disclose quarry origin.
Buyer's Guide
Know what to ask the slab yard, what pattern variation to expect, and what red flags to walk away from.
stoneintelligence.ai
Your care plan
Calacatta Gold · Kitchen
On track
Sealing scheduleDue in 4 months
Last: Oct 2025Next: Feb 2027
1
Daily: pH-neutral cleaner only
No vinegar. No citrus. No bleach.
2
Reseal every 6–12 months
Impregnating sealer, two coats
3
Blot spills immediately
Wine · coffee · lemon · tomato
Recommended: MB-5 Impregnating Sealer
Food-safe · Non-yellowing
Owner Care Guide
Daily cleaning, sealing schedule, and what to avoid — tailored to the exact stone in your home.
stoneintelligence.ai
Calacatta
Marble · Italy
Taj Mahal
Quartzite · Brazil
Hardness
3
Hardness
7
Acid risk
High
Acid risk
None
Porosity
MediumPorosity
LowPrice tier
$$$Price tier
$$$Best for
Bath, wallBest for
Kitchen, BBQRecommended for a kitchen
Taj Mahal Quartzite
Stone Comparison
Side-by-side help for the decisions people actually make — Calacatta vs. Taj Mahal, marble vs. quartzite.
Selector
11 types · 15 uses
Match by look, space, and care tolerance
Buyer's Guides
Per-stone PDFs
14 pages across 6 chapters
Care Guides
By application
Kitchen, bath, shower, floor, outdoor
Comparison
Any two stones
Hardness, acid, porosity, best use
Optional protection
Need more protection for acid-sensitive stone?
For marble, travertine, limestone, and other calcareous stones, MORE® AntiEtch® provides permanent acid-etch protection when applied by certified professionals.
See whether AntiEtch is right for your stone and application.
Learn About AntiEtch
Unprotected
AntiEtch
Protected
The cost of one cleaning mistake.
A year of better decisions.
$19.99/year
Before you buy
Confidence choosing the right stone for your space, lifestyle, and budget.
After installation
Clear answers on cleaning, sealing, and protecting what you’ve invested in.
Less than a bottle of the wrong sealer. Less than one service call to fix an etched countertop. Better guidance pays for itself the first time you use it.
Cancel anytime. Free library always available.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is Stone Intelligence for homeowners like me?
Yes. It's built for homeowners choosing stone for kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces — and for owners of existing stone who want to care for it properly. You don't need industry experience to use it.
What do I get beyond the free stone library?
The library itself stays free. Membership unlocks the Stone Selector, downloadable Buyer's and Owner's Guide PDFs, application-specific care instructions, sealing and maintenance schedules, product recommendations, and side-by-side stone comparison.
I already own stone. Is this useful for me?
Especially for you. Most costly stone damage happens after installation — wrong cleaners, skipped sealing, unnoticed early etching. Members get a clear care plan tailored to the exact stone in your home.
Why subscribe when there are free articles online?
Most generic stone advice is wrong for your specific stone. Stone Intelligence is organized by exact stone, type, and application, so you get guidance that matches what's actually in your home — not an averaged summary that misses the nuances.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. One click in your account. No questions, no retention calls.
Is there a free trial?
The free library is your trial. Browse every stone, explore every profile, and learn the basics before you spend a dollar. Membership unlocks the decision tools when you need them.