However you can only do this up to a certain extent.
Can you use a knife on granite countertops.
Therefore while you can safely cut directly on a granite surface unless you wish to continuously replace your knife it is advisable to make use of a cutting board.
Yes you can directly cut food on quartz countertops since they can resist any scratching or slicing damage that is inflicted on their surface.
Slicing knives across granite to cut food will quickly dull and damage their blades.
So to answer the question.
A gemstone such as topaz will scratch just about anything including quartz countertops but you can t use a wedge made of calcite to this effect.
Don t use knives directly on the granite.
The answer is it depends and it s still better to use a cutting board.
Use a cutting board if you may.
Quite a few stainless steel knives rank around 7 on the mohs scale thereby enabling them to scratch quartz countertops which also rank around 7.
However if you cut acidic foods like citrus fruits the acid can degrade the surface of the countertop leaving a noticeable dull spot.
Since knives are not typically made of granite or any other mineral you could purchase a granite countertop color and feasibly not purchase another cutting board as long as you have your kitchen.
If you let a spill sit it can etch the seal and stain the granite.
It s your knives that will be sorry you didn t use a cutting board.
A quick chop here and there will not necessarily wear out your granite countertops.
Just because you can doesn t mean you should.