Caesarstone says its remaining UK portfolio will move to ICON from 2027

What happened

Caesarstone has been expanding ICON, which it describes as an advanced-fusion surface. Its UK website states that ICON products contain less than 1% crystalline silica and are made with approximately 85% recycled material, including post-industrial recycled glass. The company uses the term crystalline silica-free, with the qualification that traces of less than 1% may remain.

The latest development is the timetable. Smith told kbbreview that around 80% of the company’s portfolio is already ICON and that, from the start of 2027, the remaining products will transition so that the whole portfolio sits within that range.

This is a Caesarstone decision about the composition of its own products. It is not a UK ban on quartz or engineered-stone worktops, and it is not a reason to replace an already installed surface because later products will change.

Why it matters for UK kitchen projects

For a homeowner choosing a worktop, the practical issue is not whether a brochure says quartz, mineral, fusion or crystalline-silica-free. The exact material being ordered matters.

A quote prepared in 2026 may remain open while products, specifications or availability change. If a retailer or fabricator later proposes an updated version of the originally selected Caesarstone surface, the homeowner should be able to identify what has changed rather than relying on a similar colour name or appearance. That means keeping the product code and material description with the quote, not only a photograph or sample name.

Material composition and fabrication controls also remain separate questions. The Health and Safety Executive has made clear that respirable crystalline silica exposure is a workplace risk created when silica-containing materials are processed. HSE says dry cutting of engineered stone is unacceptable and has confirmed water suppression as part of the required control approach. Caesarstone itself says ICON still requires appropriate fabrication processes and safety measures. A lower-crystalline-silica specification therefore does not remove the need to know who is fabricating the worktop and how that work will be controlled.

What to check in your project

If a Caesarstone surface is already in the kitchen quote, record the exact surface name and product code, whether the quoted material is ICON or another Caesarstone specification, and the product or safety data supplied for that version.

Keep the fabricator’s name, whether a slab has actually been allocated, the template date, who is responsible for sink, hob and socket cut-outs, and the fabrication and installation dates. Ask what happens if the quoted product is replaced or reformulated before ordering, including any effect on price, appearance, thickness, fabrication, warranty or lead time.

If a quote is revised during the transition, compare the old and new specification line by line. Do not assume that the same colour name means nothing material has changed.

The broader market signal is that lower-crystalline-silica products are moving from being alternatives within worktop ranges towards becoming the default portfolio strategy for at least one major supplier. For an active project, the useful question remains narrower: which exact slab are you buying, and who is responsible for turning it into the finished worktop?