Marble stains, and etches, and scratches, and chips. That is life with marble. If you don't embrace that patina, then marble, of any kind, is NOT for you.

NO !!!!!! above comment explains why perfectly as well as your comment re stains

Suggest avoiding marble in favor of a marble-look quartz or other stone, but if you insist on the real thing, then polished gives you the best chance of maintaining your sanity.

Oh goodness! Those pictures with the stains are scary. I just love the look of marble. I have looked at soooo many slabs of stone-real and manufactured. Is there any way to remove/prevent the stains? Do sealants help?

It seems as though I might do better with polished. I hope my cabinet with the honed doesn't look odd in the kitchen with the honed. That particular countertop isn't used much and looks fine.

I meant to say in above post that I hoped the honed and the polished look okay side by side. Not the honed and the honed.

Polished for sure for marble and IMO some of those stains shown were just plain carelessness I have a love for marble counters because i actually love the warm patina it gets from living but if you want perfect then go quartz

Patricia, I do like a patina. I am and will be very careful although I know accidents happen. I will add that there are no children at home-all grown! Marble is just so beautiful.......I am thinking I should go with polished.

I would do honed. It is more forgiving with etching and scratches and if it stains you can pull the stain out without affecting the look. If it is polished- pulling the stain out hones the surface in that area.

How do you pull the stain out?

Honed is my personal taste. It stains more but etches less.

Does anyone have any updates about the honed quartz? I was looking at calcatta vicenza in matte ( honed) because when i went to MSI in Norwood, MA, I found that the matte wasn't as busy of a pattern and it was a lighter, more soothing design. After reading these reviews i'm nervous about the honed but I do like it better than polished, and I find that polished is more of an ivory and the matte is more of a white. Please help! I'm meeting tonight with the contractor.

Melissa, I am the poster that started this thread. I ended up telling the stone company I wanted polished granite. As soon as it was installed, I knew I had made the wrong decision. They ultimately came back and honed it. I have had zero problems with stains of any kind. I have, however, had problems with etching from lemon juice, citrus fruits, tomatoes, things like that. I did though find a product that makes all etching almost disappear. It is called “Natural Touch Etch Removing Compound” by Stone Pro. I ordered it online-can’t remember how I found it. I have used it for a while now and am very pleased with it. My post might be too late to help you but wanted to let you know.

Melissa, I said polished granite in my post above, but I meant marble. Hope this didn’t cause any confusion