It really depends on the quartz and the marble as to which one is more expensive. The white quartz is comparable to an upper priced marble and it also depends on the quartz as to whether its easier to maintain than marble. This particular quartz is not as durable as granite but better than the white italian marble. Granite is pourous as well but not as pourous as marble. Hope this answers your questions. You really need to discuss this with your stone yard or designer to find out what is most durable for your needs.

Quartz (Caeserstone, Silestone, etc.--man-made material) is scratch/stain/etch resistant...but, it can do all of those things if care is not taken (wipe down regularly--don't let acid materials sit overnight, etc.). All of these things can be buffed out after the fact, but it's $$$ because it's not easy for fabricators to polish already-installed countertops.

Quartzite (natural stone) is harder than granite making it very resistant to scratch/stain, but both granite and quartzite can scratch. Using an ineffective sealer, or not sealing often enough based on recommendations, can make it more susceptible to staining. As to etching, granite and quartzite should not etch. What etches in marble/limestone/travertine is the calcite in the stone. The exception to this is if a quarry used a lower-grade resin on the granite/quartzite, acids CAN react to the resin (not the stone) and cause etching. Again, there is nothing inherent in either granite or quartzite that causes etching. All quarries apply resin to stones for a variety of reasons, so you can't get around that. If you are interested in quartzite, be sure to purchase from a reputable stoneyard that is more likely to work with quarries using higher quality resins. If they let you do an overnight etch test (tape a limejuice-soaked rag to a corner of the slab), all the better.

In terms of cost, quartz is similar to many granites, but less than high end marbles. Quartzite is on par with higher-end granites but less than Calcutta.

Is this picture quartz ?

Yes this is Coconut White quartzite, real quartz not engineered

Just to clarify, the term "quartz" is being used interchangeably with "quartzite." Quartz is man-made (Caeserstone, Silestone, etc.) and quartzite is natural. The picture above is referred to as "real quartz", but it's quartzite. Caeserstone, etc. is advertised as 94% quartz, but that's by weight, not volume. Despite what many say about quartz being bulletproof, it CAN etch/stain/scratch. My hunch is it's a reaction between acids and the resin, but I haven't confirmed that. Again, not all natural stones are susceptible to acids. I've had granite countertops that truly were bulletproof and even after several years, did not need to be resealed. IF there is calcite in the stone, that is what reacts to acids.. and not all natural stone contains calcite. Or, it's a reaction between acid and the resin applied at the quarry (not to be confused with sealer which is applied once installed). In general, lighter natural stones (including granites) are more sensitive to stains/etching.. If your countertop etches (anything but marble/limestone/travertine--all of which contain calcite and etch the stone versus the surface) try a poultice of baking soda and water to see if it gets the etch out. if it does, it means the surface (not the stone) etched. Manufacturers are poised to distribute an anti-etch sealer.. which means, it can be applied to marble and other etchable surfaces and apparently resist etching. There are still some downsides to this new sealer including yellowing, delaminating, has to be applied by a professional and.. if you ever need to repair your countertop, this sealer has to be ground off ($$$).

Thank you Kathleen, that was extremely helpful and informative.

I have white princess quartzite for my kitchen island, looks very much like this one. And it does not stain, etch, or chip. I love it! It's acid resistant - I peeled many oranges over it :-). The only thing is that its price is on the upper range of typical granite.

natural quartz will etch and stain if you allow acids to stay on it but man made quartzite will not etch or stain. The stone was gorgeous but we had issues with etching and staining pretty easily. I recommend going with a man made quartz for the lighter colors in a kitchen rather than marble or quartzite.

In terms of stones (not in terms of its chemical make up), Quartzite and Quartz really have nothing to do with each other. The former is natural stone, the latter is man-made, like Silestone. Natual Quartzite is not a porous stone, therefore does not stain or etch easily; it's denser than most Granite. I had white princess quartzite put in my kitchen in 2012, and the thing has not been etched or stained. And we are not careful in the kitchen at all (we have a 5 year old :-). I love the look - it looks just like marble, but is maintenance free. I just wipe it down with soup and water whenever needed. Image attached below for reference.

All About Quartz:

Chenxiwang.... Can you tell me the color of your cabinets please?

chenxiwang - does your backsplash tile end at the bottom of the vent or is it behind the vent as well?

@card1 I used Benjamin Moore "Deep in thought" on my cabinets. They came out wonderfully. It's a shade of warm white. @whocareswhoiam. The tiles went behind the vent for the stone. Hope this helps.

what is it that you used on the exterior? Is that granite? any idea what the name is? I want this exact combination in my kitchen. Thank you!

@kroe01, if you are asking me. I used Green Mountain Soapstone on the perimeter countertop with White Princess quartzite on the island. Make sure you get the darkest Soapstone slabs that you can find. Some soapstones are only black when you oil it, which is a lot of work. These Green Mountain ones are really dark in itself, I never had to oil it. It's a very nice matted sophisticated shade of black.