Not all knobs are the same. Taking a page from the recent fury in natural stone countertops, homeowners are increasingly turning to stone knobs to accentuate their decor.

There are many reasons for the popularity of stone knobs. First, the stone is durable and natural. Materials from which stone knobs can be made include river rock, semi-precious stones, marble, granite, Australian jade, jasper, fossil stone or petrified wood.

Not only are stone knobs a unique looking piece in and of themselves, they can also match your countertops or provide contrast to the surfaces you are currently using in your home.

Also, you can add stone knobs with a little more flair. While natural stone knobs are popular, you can also choose to set the stone on a metal stand to add some style and formality to stone knobs.

If you are a traditionalist or you like things a little different, stone knobs come in an endless variety of styles and shapes, not just oval or round. Stone knobs these days also come in wedge shapes, sweaters, and more.

One thing you should know about stone knobs is that over time they can wear down the surface of your cabinets. Think about it, you are basically polishing a piece of stone against the wood over and over again each time you open one of the cabinets. That will eventually have some kind of impact on the wood. Before you think you’ll have to give up the whole stone knob concept, there is a solution to this problem. You can get a knob that has a transition material between the knob and the wooden surface. It could be a metal backing post made of iron, stainless steel, or brass, or you could fit a back plate between the knob and the door surface. Either of these options will offer a barrier between the stone’s polished surface and your wood cabinets.

When you’re ready to start shopping for stone knobs, you need to consider the size and style of the door you are going to attach them to. Many times when you arrive at the hardware store and start looking around, you will have lost perspective of the actual size of the doors you are trying to fit the stone knobs on. That means you may see knobs that are too small or too large, and not realize it until you’ve bought them and taken them home. One trick is to measure the size of the actual doorknobs, if you like the size ratio between the doorknobs and the door. If you are starting from scratch, you may want to buy just one of the stone knobs you are considering and take it home. Then try it on a door and see what it looks like. If you like it, go back to the store and buy the rest of the game. If not, see if you can return it and go back to the drawing board.