White ice granite is one of the most popular white granites on the market. Its stunning pristine beauty has been admired for many years and its popularity only continues to increase. It is quarried in several quarries in Espirito Santo, Brazil in very limited quantities and is occasionally called Aspen White granite.
It’s perfect for use in kitchens of all shapes and sizes – but how much does it cost? What does it look like with different cabinet colors? Does it look different in rooms with lots of natural light?Lets find out!
You can really see the blue in this picture which gives the stone its icy name
From afar this stunning stone is obviously predominantly white in color. From a distance it is possible to see that the white color of the bedrock is intertwined with mineral deposits that are grey in color.
As you get a little bit closer you are able to see the awesome details of these mineral deposits and many more features of this stone become visible. For example the grey veins are in fact a stunning blue in places.
Some beautiful patterning in these countertops!
To start with the white bedrock is not a uniform color, and is mottled with very light grey specks all over. This adds a great two tone effect to the stone which is not visible from afar.
Slightly darker blue / grey veins cover the granite which usually make up 20% to 30% of the stones overall mass. On occasion you will find that these darker blue / grey veins can almost be blue in color.
They vary in intensity and saturation meaning some patches will only be slightly darker than the grey speckled bedrock, and others will be quite a bit darker. The darker patches are usually much less common – which allows this stone to generally retain a light and white overall appearance.
A great looking white ice kitchen
Sparkling quartz deposits are also littered around most slabs of this stone which gives a great shine and luxurious appearance when polished. These are usually accompanied by very tiny specks of dark red / almost burgundy deposits. These make up less than 1% of a slabs overall mass on average but are truly stunning.
Dotted throughout the slab there are also small veins and mineral deposits that are very dark grey / black in color. They are usually very small in size, and add an interesting extra dimension to this stones appearance that is not visible from afar.
The white and white combination is truly stunning when accented with the mineral content of this stone.
White Ice granite is considered to have a medium amount of variation between slabs. The main things that will change are the black minerals and the size of the grey patches. You can find slabs that will have an abundance of the black minerals. While still not usually visible from afar these black mineral heavy slabs create a very different overall effect than slabs that are more “pure” in their white.
The darker grey mineral bands do not usually vary that much in their color intensity, but their size and frequency can differ quite significantly from stone to stone. So as we always say – you should really inspect a slab before you commit to having it in your home.
This stone looks quite different in rooms with different lighting conditions too. In rooms without lots of natural light the darker sections of the stone become more apparent, and the stone takes on a much more “busy” appearance. Conversely in light well lit rooms, the darker sections are much less noticeable and the stone appears more uniform in color.
This granite with a ceramic sink is one of the best combinations out there – if you dont do this i really think you are missing a trick!
How Much Does White Ice Granite Cost?
As we mentioned earlier in the article. White Ice granite is produced in very limited quantities and supply very much fails to meet demand. This makes this stone a premium granite, usually in the highest price bracket of many stone dealers.You can expect to pay around $60-$70 per square foot for a 3cm thick slab of white ice granite. Due to it being in such short supply we were unable to find any price information for 2cm thick slabs – which leads us to believe it is only commonly sold in the 3cm thick slabs.
The beauty of this stunning stone is that it can fit in perfectly with any style of kitchen décor when used as countertops.
White Ice granite countertops with white kitchen cabinets is my personal favorite color scheme for this stone.
A stunning white ice granite kitchen island
The white of the stone blends in with the cabinets perfectly. The grey and blue veins in the stone provide a nice complementary second tone to the room. The end result is a room that looks regal and slightly contemporary, while still remaining warm and homely.
It especially works well with white ceramic sinks too this way you don’t break up the white color combination with a garish aluminium sink. If you are going to invest quite a bit in white ice countertops, a few hundred extra dollars for a nice new sink would be a sound investment I am sure you would not regret.
Very dark and blue!
With dark cabinets white ice granite countertops create a very different effect. The stunning white of the stone contrasts amazingly well with the dark cabinets. However just before it becomes a little bit too garish – the dark grey mineral deposits of the stone tie the countertops and the cabinets together.
This creates a highly “designed” look to the kitchen and is guaranteed to look great. The ceramic sink is not as “essential” in these darker kitchens as there are other very strong colors in the room to make it much less noticeable.
There are a couple of other granites that look very similar to White Ice that we think you may like – Check out DelicatusWhiteorAlaska WhiteorBianco Antico too!
So there you have it, a great stone – at a premium price. We would love to know what you think. Let us know in the comments section below!
