I don't think any of the quartz products look like marble. I'm not a fan of the quartzes that try to look like something else. If you go with quartz, it should be because you like the look of the quartz itself. I love my quartz, but I was attracted to it precisely because I did not want the look of granite or marble. If you want a marble look, then yes, fake marble looks fake.

Victostone uses Italian Breton machines which is what Silestone,Caesarstone,and Cambria use.

But it is a Vietnamese company started in 2002.

IMO Cambria Torquay looks like the Marble of my dreams,how it should look without all the grey.

If you want marble "patina" or "character" with etching and staining then go for marble.I would rather go for "fake" perfection.

Here is a topic I started on same back in November:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1117452030377.html

A bit over 1/2 way down at on Fri, Nov 4, 11 at 14:35 there is a link to photos with Imperial Danby Marble compared with Torquay and 2 corian products. I think it may be helpful? It's a length thread but it may be a good read : )

Fishies

Thank you to everyone out there for your very informative posts. I agree with many of you, and I do think the only way to get that true marble look is to get a marble countertop. Oh if I could only convince my husband that we need it in our kitchen.

I can't wait to read all of the posts everyone referenced here.

I was able to grab a nice big sample of Caeserstone Misty Carrera today at The Great Indoors in Dallas. Because the Great Indoors is going out of business, the SA let me keep a huge 10 inch sample.

We are going to try to make it to the Vicostone showroom tomorrow to look at big slabs of the Carrara color.

I'll be sure to post a follow-up. Thanks to you all for your wonderful advice and input. This board is so amazing.

dragonfly08--Wow. Your countertops are gorgeous. They look very much like marble. I am going to search for them now. Thanks soooo much for posting the pic of your beautiful kitchen.

Its4tinz- tell your hubby that super white quartzite is some of the toughest stone around! Debated it for our kitchen but too cool for our cabs:)

CKGM--I sure will. Thanks to everyone!

I am a fabricator in Michigan and proud importer of vicostone quartz products...I have been fabricating quartz surfaces for a number of years now and have yet to see anything that is as natural looking as this product...i was blown away with the look of they're carrera marble and can honestly say there is nothing else like it.
That carrara marble look is something many of my customers have wanted for many years but were afraid of the wear and tear associated with it...
Now I can give to them.

They have a number of colors that look like natural stone but have the advantages of quartz...not to mention more reasonable in price than the cambrias or Cesar stone products.

I would strongly recommend it to anyone that is looking to do there kitchen or bath counters.

patgje70---I am so happy you posted this. I am definitely going with Vicostone Carrara for my new house, and I cannot wait. We decided on the Honed 3cm for my kitchen and the Polished 2cm for the bathrooms. I honestly think this product does not get the publicity it deserves because the name is not as well known. I am fortunate enough to live in Dallas close to the warehouse. So like you, I have seen it in person. The website does not do it justice either. The Vicostone Carrara was the happy compromise between me and my husband. I'll be sure to post again once it is installed in September.

Have you installed it yet for a client? If so, how do they like it?

Its4tina...I'm glad I could help.
Everyone loves the product.
Looking forward to seeing pictures of your job.

While sometimes I feel as though I lost out by not choosing marble, I have been quite pleased with our Cambria Torquay. Good luck!

Its4tina,

I'm also looking at the Vicostone and am really looking forward to seeing your pictures!

Great news for the east coast. I had VICOSTONE Quartz brought in for our kitchen. Top South did this for us. We are getting the Carrara for our historic home in Marietta, GA. Top South will now have this quartz--ask for Mike Hahn and mention Lynn. I went to see the slabs once they were unloaded. Great looking product, Thanks to the Garden Web or I would have not known about this option for our kitchen remodel. I will post a photo once it is installed in about two weeks...just in time for Thanksgiving.

dragonfly08- LOVE your Super White. We've been shopping for two guest bathrooms and just saw a slab of this yesterday. WOW. Amazing in person. Our vanities will be expresso toned and my husband just couldn't wrap his head around the deep brown of the vanity and using Super White. We're headed in another granite direction at the moment, but that Super White is sure hard to forget. One of my top favorites.

calacutta quartzite-looks like marble and doesnt etch, chip or stain

oldbat2be--I love your Cambria Torquay. They are very similar to the Vicostone Carrara from what I can see from the picture. beach555--I am so sorry I did not see your post earlier. Let me know if you still need pics. I'll try to post some here also. You can email me direct if you want to. its4tina@hotmail.com

By the way, I LOVE my Vicostone countertops!!!!!!!!

On Vicostone Quartz.. I just visited the Dallas Office of the
Vicostone Quartz warehouse located on Goodnight Lane.

She told me to talk to the fabricators first and then purchase the product based on the specs and color..

I told the lady that I would prefer the honed white color. She said that honed whites easily absorbed stain.There are only 2 product item that could be honed. .I really want something not shiny. I have to call the 3 fabricators that I asked from her.

Hi florence_tx. I ended up with the polished instead of honed. I love it!!!!

Patgje70--where are you located in MI? I am in love with Vicostone and everyone I mention it to looks at me with a "huh" expression. Looking for counters to replace the builder's install.

i have something similar to super white. it's a quartzite called wicked white.... and i love it.

i can try and get a better picture.....

I thought Super White and Wicked White Quartzites were actually marble mislabeled or falsely marketed as quartzite. I read on this site that they will etch and stain just like marble because it is marble. What's the truth on that?

i have heard that about super white. as far as wicked white, there's no evidence that it is (or isn't). i did grill my fabricator, and for what it's worth, he said it wasn't a dolomite. it was a straight up quartzite. not prone to scratching or etching. and so far he's right. i've left buffalo sauce on overnight. wipes right off.

This post was edited by elizabeth714 on Thu, Aug 21, 14 at 15:37

I have put in Caesarstone Frosty Carrina, and really like the look of it. Not marble, but what a breeze to look after.

I have researched and looked at a lot of "quartzite" lately for my kitchen remodel. All the importers in my area have been pushing Super White as quartzite. I went to see the fabricator today and was told unequivocally it is not quartzite but a hard marble (calcite based) and will not sell it as such. If you decide to use Super White, they put a disclaimer in the contract which states it is not a true quartzite. I believe them.

There is a lot of marble mislabeled as quartzite but if you get the real deal, actual quartzite it does not etch and is tougher than granite. There are a number of threads here on how to tell if you are getting the real thing. Some Super White Quartzite is falsely labelled and is, in fact, marble. Some of it though is quartzite and is practically bulletproof as countertops. I purchased just such a slab but while it would neither scratch nor etch it had an inclusion that caused a crack in fabrication and I switched to a different quartzite. This one is called Iceberg. It is not marble, it is quartzite. It does not etch or scratch.

Elizabeth714 & Christina222,
Both of your countertops are beautiful! Thank you for posting the photos. How does the cost of quartzite compare to quartz? Thanks

kmb7079 as far as price it seems to vary a lot depending on where you live. Quartzite is not inexpensive but neither is quartz. I suspect they're about the same price, assuming you're looking at the higher end quartz brands and an average quartzite. There are quartzite slabs out there that can run 20K for a single slab, but those are very rare and akin to precious stones. An average for quartzite is probably $80-$150 a square foot.

I am digging up some old posts about marble looking Quartz and quartzite. I am interested to know how you guys that posted on this thread are feeling now - 2 years later- about your choice. Especially how the quartzites are holding up. Any feedback would be appreciated. I am deciding between quartzite or LG Minuet. Thanks!

Mine is coming up on a year since install. Still love it, still looks amazing, would use it again. Just to add also, my kitchen is used pretty heavily. I cook a lot. The counters have had pretty much everything you can think of spilled on them. They're really nice for rolling out pastry or cookie dough and for kneading bread nothing seems to stick to them so clean up is easy. Every now and then I find something that has dried on there and think surely they'll be stained but nope, everything just wipes right up.

So you got iceberg? I haven't heard of that one. It's nice to know you're hasn't etched or scratched. Do you cook a lot? Messy kids?

I cook a lot, no kids but a big family that visits often. There's been wine, tomato, lemonade, all kinds of stuff on these counters. Just be sure if you go the quartzite route that you test a sample from the actual slab you intend to buy. There's a lot of marble out there that's labelled as quartzite. The only marks mine show are water spots, but they polish right out. I've had a few 'etch' scares but they all turned out to be either water spots or something that dried on the counter. Surprisingly this stone hides splatters very well! You'd think such a light counter would show everything but it doesn't.

Yes I have heard about the marble being labeled quartize. Thanks for the update. I have about 2 more weeks to decide. I love the look of the natural stone.

I have quartzite as well I didn't like how artificial Quartz looked We almost got cambria torquay

Imagineshark, what's the name of your stone? How's it holding up as far as etches, staining, etc? Thx

The stone is pearla quartzite. It's great so far! I've gotten oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, tomato sauce on it - and it wipes right up, not staining at all. It' s honed, so there is no etching. So far so good! I could never get marble, though beautiful, it wouldn't last because I'm always cooking, and would drive myself crazy worrying about what was getting on it. Not worth it, for me.

It sounds like quartzite is the way to go for me. If indeed I can find real quartzite. I am not giving up on my search. Thx again for the update!

curious to hear those that bought Vicostone how are they holding up? I too live in dallas near the showroom and am leaning towards using it too for our kitchen remodel. I got a sample and by far closet look to real marble out there. Also any more pictures of kitchens that have it? Thank you

We have Vicostone Quartz in "Tobacco" for our kitchen counters since fall 2013. They have been a breeze in maintenance since install. I wash them off as needed with mild dish soap and water. Everything just wipes up perfectly. I have rolled out dough for bread on them and they performed great. I use trivets and never put anything very hot on them... a habit I have had for years of living with formica.

At the time of our order, they didn't have a marble-like pattern that I particularly liked. We thought the Tobacco was a good mixture of a marble-like look and pattern to compliment our off white cabinets, white appliances, white subway tile back splash and med dark oak floors. We wanted something that had a little more pattern and movement because the kitchen has so much white in it. The taupe/tan areas of the Tobacco compliment and pick up the colors in the oak floor.

Since then, they have introduced a few more marble-like in patterns that are a bit more calmer than our Tobacco... like Onixaa, Lattice, Cararra, and Statuario. If I had to choose one today, it would be between the Tobacco and Onixxa or Statuario. I would insist on seeing the entire slabs first. We were able to pick out our Tobacco slab and there were significant differences between individual slabs. If you can see the entire slab, insist on it. Some stone yards try to discourage this saying that they are man made and all the same... they are not. You will be pleased you did.

Our entire cost was substantially less than if we went with Silestone, Cambria, or Ceaserstone.

Thank you so much very helpful advice

Just to add my 2 cents: I have Vermont Danby marble for about 8 months now and have no stains on it. I use my kitchen all the time--tomatoes, vinegar, berries, wine, coffee, tea, etc. etc. and it is still the same color as the day it was installed. The sealers are wonderful and because the stone is indeed very dense it doesn't absorb stains. It does however etch, so if that would bother you, you should go with quartzite or engineered quartz. The beauty of the stone is unsurpassed in my opinion and I don't regret my decision one bit.

Just curious on how everyone's quartzite is holding up?

Mine are just as good as the day they were installed (2 years). They never ever stain or etch. We have a large family and scratch cook every meal, have lots of family over all the time, etc. We in no way baby the counters, but we're not abusive (such as banging the edges with pots, or putting a scalding hot pan on them.) A few times something like red wine or even beet juice was left overnight (or once there was a beet juice blob for several days!), and all it took was to wipe it with a damp cloth and it was gone.

thank you!!

Mine hasn't stained or etched, BUT we have square edging, and there is a chip out of the edge, where someone put something in the dishwasher, and it hit the edge.

Our old granite never had a chip - but his chipped. Really disappointed

Two years now and still gorgeous. I'm starting to think about sealing it. I haven't had any issues but it hasn't been sealed since it was installed.

christina - stunning!

Funny, we loved marble too, and were not happy with quartz look a likes. We found a quartzite called Taj Mahal that was stunning. It was pricey.

Christina,

May I ask the supplier of your Iceberg Quartzite? Thanks!

Mokey2424 - I got it at a small yard in Fort Pierce, Florida, called USA Marble and Granite. I suspect they may have sourced the slabs from a much larger yard in Palm City, Fl. I can't remember which it was, but I saw quite a few really beautiful iceberg slabs there. I am pretty sure it was a yard right down the road from Marble of the World in Palm City. Of course this was several years ago now!