Slate has been used for fireplaces countertops and furniture tops for hundreds of years in North and South America as well as in Europe.  Slate is available in semi polished finish as well as natural cleft that shows its natural split face.  It is subject to scratching but withstands high heat. Like all natural stone products, it should be protected from stains with a penetrating sealer

Colors ranges from what is described as “blue-black”, general from Pennsylvania or Virginia, red, black or purple from Vermont, and brightly foliated colors from Brazil.  European slates are generally gray to black. Some of these materials, particularly those from Italy, contain calcite and, like marble is vulnerable to food acids.  Vermont slate is particularly resistant to stains and etching.

Slate is derived from sedimentary rocks that have gone through several stages of metamorphism.  Derived from shale, it is composed of several types of clay and quartz and in some instances feldspar and calcite. Individual are not visible to the naked eye.