A surge in quartz countertop fabrication has triggered a growing epidemic of silicosis — an incurable lung disease — among Bay Area workers who cut and polish the popular kitchen material.

Here’s a kitchen design trend to die for. Quartz countertops are now the most popular choice among home renovators and designers because of their durability and resistance to stains, scratches, and ...

Every day, 20 to 30 trucks roll into a factory in Minnesota. They're filled with quartz — some of it like a powder, and some of it like sparkling little pebbles, in big white sacks. "It's about 30 ...