Have you looked at Quartz? Caesarstone and Cambria both have a few "marble" options you should check out. I was concerned about the abuse marble would take in my kitchen so I used London Grey by Caearstone on my kitchen island. I'm very happy with my decision. It doesn't quite have the same impact as real marble (which I used in a couple of bathrooms and my laundry room) but it does give me the look I was going for without having to worry about scratching, etching, or staining.

There are marble counter tops in Europe that are eons old and still look awesome they take a bit more work than granite as far as spills are concerned but most people I know don't leave spilled wine on their counter for hours. I agree I like marble better than granite and i still think natural stone beats any manmade product so go for it and love it. As far as granite I am getting so tired of it , it is in every cheap condo and I think it is time for a change.

The fact is that granite indeed are more durable than marble - as marble stains and scratches easier. However granites are usually more busy in appearance. But there are some granites that are also very beautiful and also other products such as quartzite which is also very durable and you may want to look into that. Quartzite is a natural product - not to be confused with quartz. You may want to look into a really good marble and tile shop that has a good variety.

J Design Group, Miami Interior Designer - South Beach - South Miami - Coral Gables - Sunny Isles - Miami - Pinecrest - Williams Island - Modern Interior Design Firm in South Miami, Florida - Ocean Front Contemporary Decorators - http://www.JDesignGroup.com

sarapost, have you had any issues with your Quartz chipping or pitting?

No issues with my quartz counters at all. We moved into the home we built in February so we've only had the counters I mentioned above for around 7 months. We installed quartz countertops in our previous home and had it about 5 years before we moved. I loved that they were so durable and no maintenance (no need to seal quartz like granite and marble).