The surfaces of this slate buffet is treated with lacquer, to protect the slate against normal everyday wear and tear. The slate is as hardwearing and resistant as a wooden surface or a Marble or Travertine surface. It will obviously be damaged if scratched with a sharp instrument such as a knife or a nail.
Slate is heat resistant and can withstand a hot plate, pot or casserole dish being placed on it, but not if there is hot oil dripping off the lip. In days of old, cobblers even used slate as a support to repair shoes on. A glass with ice may leave a ring, the same as on a wooden surface, but this will disappear after a while.
When cleaning the slate surface, do not use any abrasive methods such as steel wool, sand paper, rubbing compound, chisels etc. Just treat it like any normal furniture surface using a wet cloth or furniture polish. In the event that a small layer of slate peels off, the raw surface can be treated with a furniture polish like "Pledge" or something similar. If larger areas are affected, a clear stone sealer can be obtained from any good Hardware Store.