A true quartzite will be more durable because it's heat resistant where Quartz isn't.

Thanks New Momma. I am not as worried about heat -- more about staining and etching. The saleswoman at the granite yard confirmed what I have read here about Fantasy Brown -- its not one of the stronger quartzites and it will etch.

There are some beautiful quartzites out there. Have you read the countertop geology threads? Lots of discussion on how to test a sample to be sure of what you are getting. (I have not tested fantasy brown, but the discussions on here make me think it is often a mislabeled marble, much like super white).

Quartzites can be damaged by heat. Most countertops can--most of the stones are suspectible to thermal shock and can crack. I know many people who put hot pans directly on stone, but there's no guarantee there isn't a fissure in there that could crack. I have seen pictures of it here. I reluctantly concluded that I need to use trivets with my marble counters.

It seems to me that if you do your due diligence and test a sample, you can get a very durable quartzite counter. And you can also get a very durable engineered Quartz counter. So I think it comes down to budget and which one you like the looks of.

I disagree with Navy Momma. I wouldn't put anything on any countertop without a trivet other than wood and stainless steel.

I've had Cambria in my kitchen in the past which I loved (previous kitchen refresh) and now have FBQ in the kitchen. In reality, the Cambria was better as far as durability and I highly recommend that brand in particular. It's also made in my home state so maybe I am a bit biased.

When we did our full gut remodel of the kitchen, we opted for the FBQ because I found the perfect slabs, colorwise. There can be a lot of variation in the FBQ. In the past I have said it's been awesome, however, in full disclosure, there is etching. I don't care. It happened about a year or so after installation as far as I can tell. I'm the only one that can see it. It's still a beautiful stone and I love it!

If I were in your position, it would be based on price and finding the perfect slab in both the quartzite (if you're okay with etching) and the quartz.

The man made surfaces certainly appear more repairable. Have you seen any of Treb's repairs on these surfaces? They are undetectable. Both quartz and quartzite are wonderful surfaces, but it seems as though quartz can be fixed (almost) no matter what you do to it.

Soapstone can give you VERY dramatic linear movement and is impossible to stain or etch.