Marble is a natural stone that will scratch, etch and stain. Sealing marble can help with staining but you will still have scratching and etching. IMHO nothing compares to the beauty of marble.

Quartz is an engineered stone that supposedly will not scratch, etch or stain. Make sure you use a reputable company that has licensed the Breton technology.

For more details, check out this thread (or search countertop geology gardenweb), which also has links to the first 5 on the topic:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0922200513172.html?55

marble has a certain formality every time I see it....yes it is pretty. Quartz offerings present you with many different options for your space and it's feel-casual/country/retro/eclectic/urban/etc. Do you have a certain look you are trying to achieve?

My wife is looking at the Bianco Macaubus quartz stone. It is suppose to look like marble but is easier to maintain than real marble. Thanks for the information...