While not manmade, the process from extraction of natural stone to placement as a kitchen Work surface is very intense. The natural stone industry goes largely unregulated so each stone distribution company and fabricator is free to use their own terminology for grade and colour as well as price, adding to the confusion for the average work surface consumer. However, with granite there are some universal materials that share the same name, such as Ubatuba, Baltic brown, Absolute black, black galaxy, Santa Cecilia, etc. After the initial quarrying of the rock, it is cut into manageable blocks. These blocks are cut, inspected and sorted into three or four tiers depending on the mineral composition. The crystalline minerals of granite range in size creating various degrees of porousness, color and movement (pattern and grain). Top tier stone from one manufacturer can vary from another. The stone is then cut to a thickness ranging from 2 cm to 4 cm with the standard in most places in the UK typically being 3 cm. The standard length and width of a granite slab is 2.8 meters x 1.6 meters although slab sizes vary because of the nature of the material. Slab cutting is typically done now with high technology machinery, which may use high-pressure water streams and diamond-bladed saws as used by Cargo Granite suppliers in Italy. When this cutting is complete, the granite is polished, resined with epoxy or polyester and conditioned in heated ovens. More and more, resining is becoming standard practice for any grade of granite as it increases durability. More fragile slabs may also have a fibrous backing material put on them to keep them from breaking during shipping and storage. The slabs are then shipped to various stone distributors around the world, ready to be selected by fabricators or individual consumers.

After selecting the type of natural stone to be used in a worktop , before it can be made, a worktop fabricator will visit the installation site and take exacting field measurements of the area to covered, furniture and leveling of surrounding walls. This process may use everything from tape measurers and strips of thin wood or plastic to more advanced means such as photo telemetry or laser measuring(Cargo Granite use both tradtional wooden templates and the latest laser technology). Once the very exact measurements are taken, a template is created for each granite or quartz worktop either in a hard form (6mm MDF) or in digital form (computer drawings), from which the creation of the actual granite work surface will be based on. Natural stone supports a wide variety of edging, cornering and backsplash options. The straight edge, bullnose, full bullnose and ogee edges remain the most popular, but custom profiles can be accommodated by stone (although they may also dramatically affect the price). Backsplashes must also be specified. Upstands 100mm high of the same thickness are the most popular, as a full height backsplash may require the use of an additional slab, increasing the price and the chances that color and veining will vary. Sink styles will also have to be known before final cutting. overmount and undermount sinks are used more frequently, but use of a Butler/Belfast style sink is also possible. The undermount design may require auxiliary framing to support the weight. Typical stone Work surfaces are heavy (up to 300 kg.) and will require several installers to deliver and fit. The final installation can generally be done in 2 to 4 hours