Stone, Marble & Quartz from China – buyer’s guide
Yunfu, 90 minutes west of Foshan, is China’s largest stone processing centre, importing blocks from Italy, Turkey, Brazil and Africa and cutting them into slabs and cut-to-size pieces. Quartz surfaces are made in Foshan and Guangzhou, and sintered stone slabs come from the tile kilns of Nanzhuang. Between them you can specify every hard surface in a building.
What is available
- Natural marble – Chinese quarries (Guangxi white, Carrara-look domestic varieties) and imported blocks processed in Yunfu: Carrara, Calacatta, Volakas, Sofita, Crema Marfil, Emperador, etc.
- Granite – Chinese G654, G603, G684 and many others; extremely cheap for paving, kerbs and countertops.
- Quartz surfaces – engineered quartz 20 and 30 mm, 3200×1600 slabs, in plain, veined and Calacatta patterns.
- Sintered / porcelain slabs – 12 and 20 mm bookmatched marble looks for kitchens and feature walls.
- Cut-to-size – stairs, thresholds, vanity tops, wall cladding, mosaics and waterjet medallions made to drawing.
Quality: what to check on a slab
Walk the yard and look at the actual bundle, not the sample tile: veining consistency across the bundle, resin filling (natural on marble, but fissures should be filled and polished flush), thickness tolerance (±1 mm), polish gloss (≥80° for marble) and the back – mesh reinforcement is normal for fragile stones. For cut-to-size, the factory should dry-lay the whole floor or wall and send photos before packing.
Price ranges (ex-works, 2026)
| Product | Indicative EXW price |
|---|---|
| Chinese white marble slab, 18 mm polished | USD 28 – 55 / m² |
| Imported Carrara-type slab, 18 mm | USD 60 – 110 / m² |
| Calacatta-type premium slab | USD 150 – 300 / m² |
| Granite G654 tiles 600×600 flamed | USD 18 – 28 / m² |
| Quartz slab 20 mm, plain colour | USD 35 – 55 / m² |
| Quartz slab 20 mm, Calacatta pattern | USD 55 – 90 / m² |
| Sintered slab 12 mm bookmatch | USD 25 – 45 / m² |
| Marble stair treads 1200×300×30, cut & polished | USD 25 – 60 / piece |
Packing and shipping
Slabs are shipped standing in wooden A-frames or bundles with steel straps; cut-to-size in wooden crates with foam separators. Stone is heavy (18 mm marble ≈ 50 kg/m²), so a 20ft container carries roughly 350–400 m² of slabs. Crates must be ISPM-15 marked. Insure the shipment – breakage on stone is the one claim that is worth the premium.
Where to see stone
The Yunfu stone markets along the G324 highway have hundreds of slab yards; a day trip from Foshan covers marble, granite and cut-to-size factories. Quartz and sintered slabs are seen in Foshan’s ceramic markets. See the market guide.
Before you sign the pro-forma
- Stone name, origin (quarry or country) and bundle numbers on the pro-forma
- Thickness, finish (polished / honed / leathered / flamed) and edge profile for cut-to-size
- Dry-lay photos approved before packing for pattern-matched work
- Crating with foam separators, ISPM-15 timber; marine insurance
- Tolerance on dimensions (±1 mm cut-to-size) and 5–10% extra tiles
- Inspection at the factory yard before crates are closed
Related guides: Tiles · Cabinets · Sanitary ware
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