hmmm...i think i would vote for the quartzite by these pics. it looks more rich, but they are so close i think either would work. but i have to ask about what "appears" to be scratches on the slab. surely those aren't actually scratches or fissures, right?!

To me, the quartzite turns your cabs a little orange so form that reason I'll vote for the Costa Esmerelda. They both are lovely choices though.

Have you tested a sample of the quartzite for staining, etching, etc? Many are very tough, but it can vary slab to slab.

Costa for sure.

The Costa. They are both beautiful, though!

The Costa.

Costa for me!

Costa! Your cabinets do look richer next to it.

Costa also. I agree the first one makes your cabinets look a little more orange than I would like. I also like it better with your paint sample.

I agree there is slight orange tinge to cabs with the first one. But on my monitor I see a pink tinge to the cabs with the Costa. Have you seen a sample in your own home with your lighting? That might help you make a decision.

Is the paint a definite? On my monitor, which can be wonky, the paint looks better with the quartzite. Both the Costa and the Ayers look good with the cabinets. Have you looked at the kitchens of itsnotrocketscience and andrea123? Their wood is deeper, but their photos may give you an idea of how expanses of yellow-green quartzites look in kitchens. On your monitor, which cabinet photo looks more accurate?

Another vote for the Costa. I think it really complements your cabinets.

Hello,

we want to keep the paint color. Here is another pic with a different slab of the costa. The lighting was a little dark in this area so the color is off. But my cab door looks pretty true in this pic. Our floor tile is the truest in the 1st pic posted with the Ayers quartzite.

{{!gwi}}

Which of all the elements did you fall most in love with? I would go with whatever that was and figure out what is most complimentary from there.

My favorite of the two stones is the quartzite, plus I like the contrast with the floor, but, like others have noted, based on the photos, the tone in the cabinets looks a little off with it.

If I was set on that cabinet color, I'd go with the Costa, which is a gorgeous stone.

Like Kitchen Detective, I like the tiny paint chip with the quartzite best, but paint can be deceiving too. It is really affected by the lighting and space in a room, so, if it were me, I'd wait til the other elements were in place to firm up a decision on that, plus it's the easiest to change.

I have a picture of itsnotrocketscience's quartzite. It's delicious...

bucking the trend, i like the ayers. i think it makes your paint and floor standout/contrast. costa, which is beautiful, makes everything look washed out/bland. although it could be my monitor.

i am a big fan of granite, don't know too much about quartz, so would be sure its the "harder" variety as stated above.

good luck!!!!

actually my cab door is most accurate in the 2nd pic posted, the large pic with the costa.

this is an update to my existing kitchen, the cabs are a done deal. Here is a pic of my existing kitchen.

I like the Ayers Green Quartzite. It makes your cabinets stant out and will complement the colors in your room.

On their own merits, I really like both stones.

I think both your walls and your cabinets have a lot of saturated color. That is why this decision is not popping out at you: The puzzle pieces do not quite fit with either stone.

To me a third saturated color like the Ayers is too much. If you like the Ayers better, I'd repaint the walls in a slightly less intense hue (but similar palette) so they don't compete.

With the costa, your paint chip seems a great match, but I am struggling with viewing the walls with the costa. The walls seem more intense and more yellowish lime somehow than the paint chip does. It's possible though, these will look good together.

If it were me, I'd pick the stone I like best with the cabinet. (For me that's the costa, but both are a win). Then I'd start from scratch with wall color. Also, not sure that blind will still work.

Costa.

I like the Costa Smerelda better. I like that it is lighter than your cabinets. The Ayers being about as saturated seems to compete too much with the cabinets. I think the paint goes a bit better with it too, but paint could be changed.

I have quartzite. A quartzite can be a very good stone for counter tops. It is very hard and strong - harder than granite. It is impervious to etching. Porosity varies so whether it needs sealing will depend on the particular quartzite. Ours doesn't.

Some people getting the white quartzites have had trouble with etching, but I've only heard about it with them - perhaps some of those stones aren't really quartzite or have something else mixed in with them.

Our Azul do Mar quartzite has been in for over 5 years. A lot of cooking goes on in our kitchen and some of the cooks aren't very careful, but it has been bulletproof.

Somehow I missed the paint chip when I commented above. I still like the CE better with your cabs, but I don't think the wall color works with either. The color is really cool on its own, but on my monitor it doesn't compliment either stone. I'd change the wall color. Yes, it can be a pita to paint, but it's a small price to pay for a lovely stone and finished kitchen.

Of the two options shown, I'm liking the Ayers best. Just to clarify, is the paint on your walls the same as the paint chip in the photos? It looks vastly different to me (could be my monitor). Also on my monitor, the paint chip with each stone does not appear the same to me at all. The one with the Ayers looks almost light lime-ish and the one with the Costa looks sort of medium apple green.

I love strong green stones. We put what we were told is Verde San Francisco granite in our laundry room (lucked out - a boneyard had a gorgeous scrap just big enough) and it is wonderful. Have you looked at that, by chance? I just 'googled' it and found some medium to dark versions (what we have) and some super light (as light or lighter than your Costa photos) - both are very nice. So is a stone my friend has called Green Marinace.

You are on the road to a lovely kitchen. Are the backsplash tiles new and staying? I agree that the blinds may need to be addressed once you get your new stone. Are the orange pendants new and staying or subject to change?

Costa

Costa. I think it is a softer tone that works better with your backplash as well as cabinets.

I find the Ayers very mossy and too intense a colour for your cabinets. The costa is the better choice but I'm not sure that it's the best choice out there.

Can you bring a sample of each of the stones home to see them in your kitchen? I found a green at the stone yard that I really liked, but in my kitchen it looked murky olive-not my favorite shade of green. A home test may help you make up your mind.

Hello,

The paint is SW Bamboo Shoot. It is not limey at all. It is actually a brownish, muddy green. We love the green and won't be painting it. The backsplash is negotiable, the curtains are as well, although they are custom and were not cheap, so I am hoping to be able to still use them.
When I put my elements up against the Ayers, it was a WOW! They all looked green together. We saw the costa first, however there was no WOW! with the costa, just OK. My heart is with the Ayers, dh is a little afraid that it is something that we could get tired of. In my mind, the stones are similar enough that if you would get tired of one, you'd get tired of the either just as easily.

It sounds like you have made up your mind.

Just curious, since you are set against changing the paint color and reluctant to switch out the window treatment, it makes me wonder why you want the expense of switching out the counter top? Is this to update the kitchen or for resale? I think it would help you in your choice if you figured out why you are doing it. And maybe you already know.

either is okay,,prefer the costa. Where I'd digress is the floor.Are you tearing up the old floor? If yes-I'd do an engineered wood and go deeper/richer/maybe bamboo with the new colors available. Just don't care for that light, mauve looking tile-it doesn't play up what you are doing. I do like your kitchen.

doonie - my heart loved the Ayers, but I don't want to make a mistake. So, the decision has not been made. We are updating our counters from laminate. When we built our house 5 years ago, we put in laminate intending to upgrade later on. Our current counters are black, I was thinking that I would replace them with black granite, however when I started looking at granites, my mind changed.

herbflavor - the floor is not light and it doesn't have any pink tones. It is browns and tans and creamy, it didn't photograph accurate in many of the pics.

I vote for the Costa. I love it with the cabinet and I think it will look great in your space. Have you taken a sample chunk home to see it in your light?

If your heart loves the Ayers, I think that's what you need to do. You will be looking at that surface all of the time and if it's not your first love, you will always be regretting it.

I don't think you would be wrong going with either one!

There is another green granite that is just beautiful and would be very pretty with your cabinets called Verde Chaiaro you can google it find pictures of it. Good luck!

I agree that the Ayers is a WOW! Stone. Seeing it with your samples, it definitely stood out and I thought would make a great impact in your kitchen. The Costa is okay but blah, IMO. S if you already prefer the Ayers, I'd say go for it! I would think you would tire much quicker of a boring combination than a punchier one!

Thanks everyone! I am going to go look at the Costa again on Tuesday. I'll post an update on Wednesday.

I liked the Ayers best when I saw the two slabs, but would not put it into that room. It might work if you were open to changing the paint. The paint could still be green, and I think you could find one you'd like, but I don't think those two work together.

You might like the Costa better if you aren't comparing it to the clearer and brighter colors of the Ayers. When you go look at it again, look at it for what it is on its own and how it will compliment everything you already have in place.

Personally I can't imagine choosing the granite over the quartzite, but I've never cared for the coarse speckledness of granite. And even the most intense color is mitigated when you place it horizontally, as in countertops. I'm afraid the granite will look too washed out and gray.

Go for the Ayers if it's your love!

actually the Ayers quartzite looks really good with my paint swatch, maybe not in this photo. But even my dh will agree that the Ayers green instantly clicked with all of my elements.

circuspeanut - I agree with you, I am going to check out the Costa again for dh, but it didn't do anything for me when I initially saw it, so I can't imagine that it will the next time. My dh's concern is the dark, intenseness of the quartzite.

I do know this, I won't buy something that I don't love. I'll keep my black speckled laminate! LOL!

Are you sure the Ayers is really a quartzite, not a granite? The material around here was all listed as Ayers granite and looks just like the slab you pictured. Don't know if it makes a difference to you or not.

That being said, I think it depends on which color you really like better. I've seen some Costa that is really so-so, and some that was drop-dead gorgeous, so it probably depends on the exact slabs you are looking at.

Hello AnnaC54,
the fabricator told me it is a quartzite. It doesn't matter to me either way, unless there are reasons not to go with a quartzite? staining, cracking, etc.

To me, the quartzite is gorgeous. I didn't give the costa a 2nd look when we were at the yard. The yard had several slabs of the costa, so I do want to look at all of them.

Thanks!

Ayers Green quartzite for me. But I'm not liking your paint choice based on my monitor resolution. I'd say choose the stone that you fall in love with and paint can wait. IMO it won't all come together until it's in your space with your light. 1st impressions mean a lot.

Ayers quartzite is the one I like, it's a deep and rich color. Is that your floor tile on the ground? If so I like the contrast between the granite and floor. The only thing I don't like, to be brutally honest, is the white? horizontal looks-like-a-scratch on the granite? I like some banding but I don't like it too drastic. As a person who's recently shopped for granite, I can tell you it's hard to choose just looking on a monitor.

Ayers is my preference of the two. It looks much like a couple of quartzites I love that I have seen called other names (Golden Lightning, Limoncello, etc.) . However, I know my monitor sometimes shows greens as bluer than IRL, which is why I was hesitant to state my preference above. I agree with above posters who mentioned the need to see the elements in your own environment, under your lighting conditions.

I like the ayers, since you are not changing out the backsplash. i wouldn't know what goes best with the wood and wall color, though.