Natural stone has been used in furniture for hundreds of years and when compared with other materials used for table tops, such as wood, metal, glass and laminates, it performs well in terms of valuation and appearance. Stone is highly heat resistant; It also has a pretty good resistance to scratching and staining. Needless to say, polished stone gives an easy wipe clean surface. As a natural product each piece of stone will be different and may have slight variations of color and marking from photographs or samples seen. Irregularities must be considered part of the natural attractiveness of the stone. Marble and sandstone are more porous than granite and can absorb liquids if allowed to rest on the surface long enough. There are two forms of marking that are possible. 1. Pigment staining, such as a damp teabag left on a white marble table might leave brown stains. 2. Acid etching. This happens quite often when the acid (most likely in consumable liquids) dulls the polished surface of the stone. The etching liquids include but not limit to white wine, champagne, citrus juices, vinegar etc. In order to prevent both types of unwanted marking, we strongly recommend to seal and "wax" the surface of the table with clear wax in a tin. Do not use any spray types of wax. Granite is one of the hardest materials in general use. A granite table top of the same size and thickness as marble will weigh about 10% more. The additional density of granite gives a virtually maintenance free surface. It will not etch as much as marble with acids that are in normal foods and the density makes it difficult to absorb liquids that might stain it. However, the similar care is still recommended for the granite table, particularly for the black granite table tops as acidic liquids could potentially decolor the contaminated areas. Cleaning should be done with a cloth and warm soapy water. Tough marks and mild stains can be removed using white spirit. This may remove the wax as well, so make sure to re-wax the table top after using white spirit. Source: amlinkmarble.com