Quartz is more durable, or is supposed to be. We do see comments from posters at times about quartz staining. Enter "quartz countertops" in the Houzz search bar, select discussions from the drop down box and click the search tool. Some of those discussions should come up for you to read through. It is a FAQ here on Houzz.

Quartz is more user friendly just be careful selecting light colors such as white. Cambria has a great selection of colors that mimic granite material also

We use quartz a lot in our projects and our clients love it. They come in different thicknesses 1cm, 2cm, & 3cm.

Countertops are like neighborhoods, we all love ours. That said, your individual situation and budget should influence the choice. Most solid surface manufacturers who use granite or quartzite will tell you there isn't a lot of difference between them and the often used granite. Quartzite is harder than granite, supposedly, but then granite compositions vary from slab to slab.

One way to tell if a countertop is porous is to pour a little water on it and see if it changes the color slightly where water seeps in. Even if it does you can seal the countertop with good results. Man made surfaces are usually less heat resistant than real stone, although real stone can crack with major temperature changes. The porosity, heat tolerance and/or cracking is usually not an issue if you follow the manufacturer or stone fabricators instructions for use and cleaning.

I chose concrete with recycled glass and mother of pearl, from Ice Stone, for environmental and sustainable "green" reasons. I used mother of pearl left over from the button industry and made in tiles for back splash.

Go with what you like, what works for your situation and design, and take care of it as recommended.

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Interiors unleashed, I would love to see a pic of your countertop. It sounds like a gorgeous combination.

Granite all the way. We had http://www.legacytops.com install our granite countertops and LOVE them!

Depends what statement you want to make. All materials have their pro/cons. More important is to make sure that you have a reputable fabricator/installer. It's at that point where a lot of projects go south.

Be careful not to confuse quartz (manufactured) countertops with quartzite (mined) slabs. Manufactured quartz countertops are impervious to liquids but will react to high temperatures and the resin used to bind all of the quartz bits together can melt or splotch. As Adivra, Riddle, and Interiors Unleashed alluded to, you must follow the care and maintenance for the material selected. Quartzite is harder than marble but not as hard as granite - although there are exceptions to every rule. Hope that helps.