Anonymous wrote:I ended up with Sea Pearl quartzite which looks like marble but functions like granite. Go to the fabricator and ask for a marble sample. Take it home and stain it. Put tomato sauce, wine, oil, coffee and lemon juice on it. Then let it sit for 24 hours. Because you know...sometimes you do miss a spot when cleaning up. Wash your sample and see if it stains.

I just saw a sample of this today and loved it. Pretty sure we're going to use it in our upcoming kitchen reno.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contractor steered us to quartzite, which is identical but not stainable.

Watch out, though. Two separate places swore up and down their "Super White" was quartzite, not marble. (Another insisted it was "white granite" and wouldn't stain at all.) Thankfully we got samples and tested before committing- all etched like crazy with all the acid samples we tried (lemon juice, vinegar, wine, etc). It was also incredibly soft - tapping a mug or bottle on it left obvious opaque dings. Too bad, it was pretty.
I second the recommendation for GardenWeb. (Which is where I found out that nearly all Super White/White Fantasy is dolomitic marble, not quartzite.)

We are in the process of picking a counter for our bathroom and I have been testing a sample of Super White and a sample of marble. The marble is easily staining and etching and nothing has stained or etched the Super White (including balsamic vinegar). I was able to scratch it with a piece of granite but the scratch isn't very noticeable.

There's all kinds of stuff out there getting labeled Super White, so you may have found actual quartzite. Odd that granite scratched it, though. Try running the edge of the sample along a glass bottle. Granite or quartzite will scratch the glass, marble will not. We had an actual quartzite sample in addition to the alleged-quartzite Super White and their performances on the scratch tests (as well as when I tried dinging them with a mug) were very obviously different.

The place where we got it thought that the granite didn't scratch the actual stone but probably the polish. So do you think if this sample was actual quartzite that we will be safe with another slab that looks the same from the same place?

18:33 here. I found the discussion PP mentioned on GardenWeb absolutely fascinating. One of the participants (the OP, right?) was a geologist, and she spotted an imposter. That said, I didn't get the impression that *most* of the slabs billed as quartzite were actually marble.

I have long thought that the superficial scratches that develop on my quartzite, visible only with close attention and direct light, were actually scratches in the layer of polish or resin applied to the top of our stone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contractor steered us to quartzite, which is identical but not stainable.

Watch out, though. Two separate places swore up and down their "Super White" was quartzite, not marble. (Another insisted it was "white granite" and wouldn't stain at all.) Thankfully we got samples and tested before committing- all etched like crazy with all the acid samples we tried (lemon juice, vinegar, wine, etc). It was also incredibly soft - tapping a mug or bottle on it left obvious opaque dings. Too bad, it was pretty.
I second the recommendation for GardenWeb. (Which is where I found out that nearly all Super White/White Fantasy is dolomitic marble, not quartzite.)

We are in the process of picking a counter for our bathroom and I have been testing a sample of Super White and a sample of marble. The marble is easily staining and etching and nothing has stained or etched the Super White (including balsamic vinegar). I was able to scratch it with a piece of granite but the scratch isn't very noticeable.

There's all kinds of stuff out there getting labeled Super White, so you may have found actual quartzite. Odd that granite scratched it, though. Try running the edge of the sample along a glass bottle. Granite or quartzite will scratch the glass, marble will not. We had an actual quartzite sample in addition to the alleged-quartzite Super White and their performances on the scratch tests (as well as when I tried dinging them with a mug) were very obviously different.

The place where we got it thought that the granite didn't scratch the actual stone but probably the polish. So do you think if this sample was actual quartzite that we will be safe with another slab that looks the same from the same place?

NP here. Since I've never cared whether I'm trendy or not, I've always been a granite fan. The reason is because it doesn't stain, stands up to severe abuse, I can put hot pots and hot plates directly on it without issue, etc. So, I'm now thinking of redoing my kitchen, and there are all of these options. But are any of these other stones as "no fuss, no muss" as granite? I hear that silestone is a lot like granite, even less fuss/muss, perhaps. But the others just sound like a pain.

I had Silestone Lagoon put in, and it looks fabulous. You can spill on it as well, and it cleans right up.

I have White Fantasy quartzite that has held up pretty well for 3.5 years now. Certainly would have preferred the look of marble, but this is somewhat similar. Compromises.

I find that only turmeric-rich sauces have staining potential, though I treat stains promptly with peroxide and they do go away after some doing. I guess there was once also a ball point pen mark that took a lot of peroxide to bleach out, but that went away, too. No trouble with wines, juices, or tomato products.

Fine scratches certainly do happen, but I don't mind because they've dulled what began as a shiny finish-- which isn't so fashionable anyway these days.

Could we have managed with marble? Maybe-- I have some regrets, especially when I see friends' marble countertops. But quartzite is an alternative worth looking into. Didn't realize there were issues with misrepresentation of materials.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Contractor steered us to quartzite, which is identical but not stainable.

Watch out, though. Two separate places swore up and down their "Super White" was quartzite, not marble. (Another insisted it was "white granite" and wouldn't stain at all.) Thankfully we got samples and tested before committing- all etched like crazy with all the acid samples we tried (lemon juice, vinegar, wine, etc). It was also incredibly soft - tapping a mug or bottle on it left obvious opaque dings. Too bad, it was pretty.
I second the recommendation for GardenWeb. (Which is where I found out that nearly all Super White/White Fantasy is dolomitic marble, not quartzite.)

We are in the process of picking a counter for our bathroom and I have been testing a sample of Super White and a sample of marble. The marble is easily staining and etching and nothing has stained or etched the Super White (including balsamic vinegar). I was able to scratch it with a piece of granite but the scratch isn't very noticeable.

There's all kinds of stuff out there getting labeled Super White, so you may have found actual quartzite. Odd that granite scratched it, though. Try running the edge of the sample along a glass bottle. Granite or quartzite will scratch the glass, marble will not. We had an actual quartzite sample in addition to the alleged-quartzite Super White and their performances on the scratch tests (as well as when I tried dinging them with a mug) were very obviously different.

Anonymous wrote:if you wanted patina (aka damage) on your counters why is it delivered to you perfectly smooth and without stains.

Because the patina comes from years of your using it, and that patina from your use conjures up fond memories of the good times spent baking/cooking/entertaining.

Instant patina means nothing. Patina is about the passing of time.

I have a marble countertop in my bathroom. I love it, but if you can't stand the thought of patina then don't get it. Watermarks do stain it, and already I have some kind of pitted area where something must have fallen on it.

If you've ever lived in Italy before, you know that the worn look of marble that has been used and loved is appreciated there. If you have that kind of approach to it, then go for it. If you want a shiny picture perfect surface that is never blemished, you might be disappointed.

Anonymous wrote:Quartz!
Granite is over (I should know - I put a ton of it in my house just as it was going out of style and I regret it).

I have marble in the bathroom and it is OK but I still think it might not age well.

Too many durable options these days.

the granite we have chips and has scratches and it was one of the more expensive types of granite. All the cheaper granite seems more durable!

As someone who watched a LOT of HGTV last month (World Series widow), I totally agree. We'll be seeing less granite in kitchens and more quartz with patterned backsplash.

this is PP again. I was told to buy something like this to help protect the marble.

http://www.amazon.com/20-16-Clear-Cutting-Board/dp/B003I24FJY