Typical comment from someone with little knowledge about the subject. Has to resort to a personal attack

How and why did this thread deteriorate into this nasty nonsense? How can a thread on such a gorgeous stone become one of name calling, and put-downs. Also just because someone can write in English doesn't mean they are all "Americans." Let's remember American leads the world in most things such as style, innovation, technological invention, and of course capitalism which has done more to lift people out of of poverty than any system the world has ever known!

Love mine! Finish is leathered and edges chiseled. No problems with stains or etching. Would t have anything else .

Leathered in the bathroom as well with laid back Italian edge

I would definitely get a leathered finish again vs honed or polished. Very durable, easy care and love the look, not shiny not
Flat and no etching worries when I set up my bar on it for parties.

@ linda999a I have polished Taj Mahal in my hall bathroom now for 3 years. No problems so far. Kids use it, guests use it, and it's held up quite well. My boyfriend chose marble for the master bath vanity - we saw stains from a water cup with a metal bottom on the marble within a few months on the marble one. I'm really happy with the Taj Mahal.

Yes, the silvery scratches that you see are indeed from metal implements. Being much harder than most of the implements and honed as well means that the quartzite surface is acting like a micro-sandpaper. Highly magnified the surface looks quite "vicious". No need to be concerned

Easy fix ladies and gentlemen. Those make metal scratches on top top of countertop. You are actually scratching the metal tools. Best fix: rub out with dust(quartzite)of same material, a dot of water to make it a thick paste. Your dust should be powder not large flakes of the stone.

not such an easy fix ladies and gentlemen as is suggested. Where does the average household person get some of the same stone from, then how to crush it to a powder. Maybe knock off a corner of the benchtop?? Try some kitchen products first

hello ...read through the entire thread and it is really informative. We are starting to build our forever home and quiet liked the look of Chateau Blanc quartizite slabs I am seeing online. We are looking for something with beige base and more gold tones and brown, with little grey. Would love to hear any input on what I should look for - since will have to do most of the selections online now. Thanks in advance

Anu Raj we are using Crystallize quartzite slabs from Daltile that may be what you are looking for? In the photos they read very grey but in person they do not

Hans-Dieter Hensel, scratch removal should be done by a professional. The type of scratch needs to be identified correctly. If rubbed out, doing with wrong compound, or too much pressure can change the finish. I was explaining, that if you have a metal scratch, it is not usually a difficult fix for someone with appropriate knowledge. Having a sample piece is always a great idea to have handy to experiment on.

Anu Raj, personally I like to see and touch a slab when selecting although everyone is different. Look at on different angles close up to see how well the finish is, and see if there are any large areas filled with resin, are there any large cracks, are fissures minimal, what is the true color, is their lighting different than mine, etc. A good fabricator should be able to help determine, as we also don’t want to cut into a slab with lots of problems. With social distancing in place, it’s really tricky, good luck on your selection.

Rebekah Gibbs, that is a nice looking quartzite. I love the warm color versus the more common colder greys you see more often in photos, however, then can be a bit trickier to match with rest of kitchen if not appropriately planned. Those types of quartzite(Taj Mahal, perla m. etc) often look a bit more golden. As the grey under tone is more of a stone grey accented with greenish, golden, brownish highlights, the overall look tends to blend with the accent colors creating a more golden or greenish grey. Which is great if you want that color and can pair it well. In my opinion, it doesn’t pair well with most grey cabinets. White cabinets yes, it is what I used for my Taj Mahal. Then I used a dark, greenish grey color for island cabinets. Also, the amount of daylight and color of your lights can change the overall look. Just my opinion.

Thanks Rebekah for sharing. The slab does look more grey but like you said maybe in person that might not be the case. We are planning to have glazed offwhite cabinets and in general our color scheme is beige, terracota, browns (hardwood floors). So was looking for a quartzite with softer white/cream base with more golds and browns in it, and very less grey. I will also check out Taj Mahal and Perla as Dezedarin mentioned. Having to do all this online is nerve racking. We are on an expat assignment and we started building our home, thinking we would be able to go back and visit often. Now, it looks more like I will be going back when we head back for good, summer of 2021, which is when we hope our home will be ready.

Is this crystallize Taj Mahal ok to use outside for a countertop that would be exposed to the elements? Does anyone have experience with this?

This is chiseled edge leathered Taj Mahal with antiques white alder cabinets with a shiny backsplash of 1” square tile

Gorgeous slab! Love the chiseled edge -

Mike Gardner - not sure what you mean by "crystalized" Taj Mahal...typical finishes are polished, honed, leathered...in any case, I would ask the supplier you are getting it from if he recommends certain finishes outside. Taj Mahal is a quartzite and is, therefore, very hardy...however, certain finishes can weaken its wearability and compatibility outside. I am a designer and have been specifying for years - anytime I am using products outside (countertops, tile, furniture) I always get something in writing from my vendors that say it will work outside. Hope this helps!

Thanks CLR I think it’s just what they call that label color at the warehouse it’s on their sku Q705Crystallize

Hi Mike, that is the what we are using in our kitchen (the slab I posted above). Not sure how it does in an outside application but we took a sample home and subjected it to a battery of tests and it was unscathed. We used turmeric, lemon juice, vinegar, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, and coffee and nothing would stain or etch it. Even after hours of it sitting on the surface. I also could not scratch the surface with glass or my keys. I would assume you would be just fine using it in an outdoor setting. I would recommend doing a polished finish though, not sure how a honed finish would fare outside.

Thanks Rebekah it looks like a legit piece of quartzite as some have said their experiences vary in quality! Its very expensive to fabricate here in Miami so want to do it right if I splurge on this piece

For sure! Here in Seattle it is $6000 per slab ($3000 for the slab and $3000 for fabrication). But it is so beautiful and I think (although clearly i'm biased) worth it :)

Very nice looking slab of quartzite. Quarries and suppliers will often give it names that distinguish it as being something unique, after all each slab is. As far as using outside, most of these slabs are resin filled before going through the polishing process. This fills the majority of pores, natural fissures and voids in an attempt to create a smoother surface with less visible pits. From my experience, when left outside for long periods baking in the hot sun, or in freezing and thawing conditions in the north, there tends to be some shrinkage of resin fills resulting in some discoloration and/or flaking of resin. Depending on the individual slab and how harsh the conditions its put through will determine how badly it will be effected. Usually these types of quartzite do better than many other finished stone outside because it’s not so dark, as it doesn’t absorb as much heat from the sun as say a black color. You may consider a leather/satin finished slab if worried about noticing any damage in the glass like look of a polished finish.

That chiseled edge is beautiful. I have not seen that before. I am choosing between a very creamy Taj Mahal at one slab yard, and Tahitian Cream at Daltile. I have seen the Tahitian Cream at two other places with different names - Nuage and Naica. And Crystallize at Daltile was actually Taj Mahal. It was so hard to find a Taj Mahal on the creamy side - most were brownish greige.

Marguerite Mastromatto just remember it looks way different horizontally than it does vertically in the warehouse. This is one of my crystallize slabs in the warehouse and then installed in our kitchen - they look so much lighter and creamier installed

@Rebekah Gibbs That looks beautiful.

My cabinets are cream/blonde with a hazelnut glaze, and a chocolate brown island. I already had a porcelain brick floor and this slab seems to blend in without clashing with the floor.

That slab is gorgeous!!

@Marguerite that is gorgeous! Is that the Tahitian cream?

lmp1959 That is Taj Mahal. That particular stone yard had five different bundles. This one had a creamier tone with some brown veining. My phone camera is not great.

So pretty-all the Taj I’ve seen is very brown and just not pretty. Currently waiting on the transfer of 3 slabs of Mystery White dolomite. Fingers crossed it’s right for our kitchen.

lmp1959 Here is the Tahitian Cream, which is called Nuage at one stone yard and Naica at another. Daltile told me they use different names. I love this. It has a greenish/taupe color with a hint of grey, with a little white, cream, pale yellow and a little black veining. The bundle behind it looks more gray.

That’s lovely.

lmp1959 I hope the Mystery White is perfect for your kitchen. It's a lot of work finding the right slab, and it's not like you can change it in a few years like paint, or ever a floor. I have been looking for months at five or more stone yards. I am sure they are tired of seeing me, but they get deliveries constantly. That Taj slab is the first one that I have liked. My cabinets are cream and the brick floor is busy, so it's been a tough search to find anything that works. The Taj Mahal is calm and safe, but I love the Tahitian Cream. I need to sleep on it.

I hear you! They are both beautiful- I think with a busy brick floor I'd probably go with the Taj. Just my 2 cents. Let us know what you decide!

Is Taj Mahal quartzite more porous than granite? How much more?

Realistically, how much more often would I have to seal (polished) Taj Majal quartzite than (polished Snowfall) granite? The fabricator tells us both need to be sealed every six months but most granite owners I know tell me they go much longer than that in between sealing (if they seal at all). I want to know what kind of maintenance I’m actually getting into with each.

It's less porous than granite. I never seal mine, and it's still gorgeous after 8 years.

I doubt you're going to get Taj to take a sealer.

I have had my Taj countertop for three years and have not sealed it. Perfectly fine.

If you had it installed professionally you could write the company that the court site comes from and file complaint against the company and have them give your money back on it

Taj Mahal Quartzite Countertops and Slabs - Kitchen Project

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/taj-mahal-quartzite-countertops-and-slabs-kitchen-project-pj-vj~7348736

quartzite collection:

https://www.marbleandgranitetech.com/quartzite-countertops

Hi! we just had brushed/honed quartzite installed and are experiencing the same metallic markings. Simply running a spoon across the material leaves a metallic marking. We are very upset and the installer is unsure as to why this is happening. We originally feared that we were sold marble instead of quartzite- but now do not think that is the case. i know that this post is a bit older but do you have any update on how your quartzite held up after a stronger sealer was placed? I have lost sleep over this and have been searching the web for any solutions. thank you in advance!

My guess is that it's the sealer itself that is scratching. My TM quartzite has never been sealed and has looked great from day one for 8 years, with plenty of abuse. I bet sealer is pushed just to sell product. Maybe you need to seal softer stones, but granite, and especially this? Which is harder than granite? BS.

I originally had thought that may be the case but we have the pieces of the slab that were left over from the job and the same thing is occurring. I gently rubbed the back of a spoon across a remanat of the slab and the same thing is occuring. It does not go into the stone- it is a silvery mark (like a scratch) and it will not come out with water or mild soap. i do think it is the transfer of metal to the stone but i have no idea why this is happening and how to stop it. we also see some staining- water? dish soap? by the sink.

They are sending out a fabricator to look at it tomorrow but kept assuring me that it is quartzite. Its called White Kairoz.

Hi @Kelsey Gerhart any update on your countertops? We just installed Taj Mahal 2 weeks ago and are experiencing the same issue with metal scratches.

I have used 9 slabs of Taj Mahal quartzite, polished, for 2 kitchens, 1 fireplace surround and 1 outdoor kitchen.

No metal marks.

Have never sealed any of the slabs/counters.

One of the pieces of Taj Mahal is behind my gas grill and gets exposed to high heat, smoke and grease. The smoke/soot/grease comes out with some hard scrubbing. The only issues is that this piece had more filler in it and the high heat might be yellowing the filler. Need to clean it to verify and compare to a photo before it was installed. Doesn't really bother me, because the filler color still blends in with the overall look of Taj Mahal.

I would not hesitate to use Taj Mahal quartzite in any future projects.

Thanks @chispa. Mine is leathered so wondering if it is more prone to the metal marks. I also noticed the edge by the sink is turning slightly pink. here are some photos