Did the slabs look like this when you approved them??

My fabricator said this was her first time to see this much colour variation. We used 2cm on the wall and 3cm for the rest. I didn’t have chance to see the entire slabs. Now, I am waiting my fabricator to contact caesarstone.

You need to hold a piece that matches one up against each in the same light, please.

My first thought was lighting might trick my eyes. It wasn’t!! Are these colour variation common in Quartz? I am nerve wrecking now that caesarstone will not stand behind their products.

Your fabricator certainly should have noticed the huge difference. What is the name of the pattern?

5031 Statuario Maximus

If you can't find a piece that matches either, at least hold a bright light between them and take another picture. You can't accurately compare the colors of surfaces on different planes otherwise.

Why does the strip between the cabinets look so much lighter, and almost the same as the counter? It almost looks like the lighting (or lack of lighting) is making the backsplash below the cabinets look darker.

Could it be the shadow cast by the cabinets?

The backsplash is more towards to cold grey undertone and countertop is warm white undertone. I will upload another pic.

First one is daylight shoot, and second one is with flash light.

Where did they store the slabs? On site? Out in the sun? Or did they have to special order them in?

Two slabs were special orders what my fabricator had told me.

I think it's your lighting. Looking at this picture, the edges of the quartz look exactly the same color as the back section. A perfect match. You really can only compare the color on surfaces that are on the same plane.

Sorry, didn’t I make it clear? I was saying the colour difference between the countertop and the backsplash. They are all 5301.

Do you have under cabinet lighting coming? Fabricator should always verify colors with client or their designer. Somethings amiss.

No, Bei Zhang, you are not understanding me. The vertical surfaces all appear to be the exact same color - whether on the backsplash or on the edges of the counter. So just going by the pictures here, it is not the slabs that are a different color but the lighting that is affecting the color.

I have updates from my fabricator. She admit that she didn’t exam the slabs. And Caesarstone is offering 3cm slab to replace the wall.

That’s great. But before you go through all that, make sure that this is not simply a LIGHTING issue. You HAVE to compare the surfaces on the same plane. Do you have a remnant of either slab? If not, can you ask for one? You would have to compare both slabs, vertically, or horizontally, side by side. Otherwise, you could have the exact same issue with a new back slab.

Mr. Zhang:

I don't get on this board and make things up, so it's a bit exasperating to read that you've refused to do the things that will provide the information needed to solve your problem.

I've solved your problem 20 years ago. I had a lady call and tell me her splash didn't match her deck. I knew this was impossible, because I ripped them from the same sheet. I took a piece over, and sure enough, it "changed" to match each. I left her the piece.

This is why somebody, before any more sheets are ordered or cut, must place a piece on the splash and deck and see if the color "changes" or not.

If you don't have another piece handy, use a flood light to bathe each piece in overwhelming light simultaneously. Not a camera flash. Not with the lights on or off.

If these guys show up with a different piece and it doesn't match either, if they haven't done these steps first, they deserve to have their time and material wasted too.

I don't think the problem is the slabs. The same slab will look different vertically or horizontally. Here is your photo.

The arrows are numbered and point to where I took samples. On the right is circles of the areas where the arrows are. Notice it depends on the lighting.

Additionally notice the rectangle. That was taken from inside the black rectangle in your photo. The only difference between the two colors is that the top color is slightly darker. Otherwise they are from the same place.

I think what Chess and Cpartist are trying to say is that all the VERTICAL surfaces, both from the backsplash and the counter (the thickness), look like they are the same color. Also, the part of the backsplash between the two upper cabinets looks like the counter surface, i.e. it's lighter. What this means is that the counter and backsplash are the same color, but the light makes them look different.

What you should do is use a piece of your backsplash quartz and put it on the counter, basically use it as the counter. Or use a piece of your counter quartz and hold it upright, like it's the backsplash. They should "change" color, depending on where you hold them.

For example, when you use the identical paint color on the walls and the ceiling in a room, the ceiling color will look like a different color.

Same color on ceiling and walls in this room, but they look like they are different:

Just put a darn halogen work light on the whole area under the counter from about 42” off the floor.

To expand more, look at the white areas on the right where I cut out the image, and then placed it over to the left. Each arrow shows where I placed it. Each one is the same surface, same slab. Totally different lighting though, which is causing the colors to appear totally different. Surely you can grasp this.

"Surely you can grasp this."

No. Everyone here is just being mean. Like we always are. Shame on us.

He has answered all your questions politely. Obviously English isn't his first language. But go on pretending he's the one with the problem if it makes you feel better.

Bei Zhang, I think all of us Pros have had that one "different color" of whatever turn out to be just a lighting issue. That is why everyone is pushing you to find an auxiliary light and shine it on the backsplash and counter at the same time. No one is trying to say that you don't see different colors. We all see what you are seeing!

But, in my most memorable "wrong color" case, as soon as I turned on a powerful work light onto the area away from the light, it suddenly changed color again! It just appeared dark, because it wasn't getting much light down the little hallway from the kitchen.

Do you think that you could borrow a work light and shine it under the cabinets that are blocking the ambient light in the room?

If they still had the cut outs for the outlets you test with laying the peices flat on counter.

Caesarstone registers the slab and batch numbers to your warranties, and also they can see what your fabricator has purchased from them. If they are from the same batch the colour variation they will sort out. If your fabricator has used different batches or has used "B" grade material for the back splashes. Then they will not.

You warranty should have the batch number on them. under your countertop you will see various numbers and dates etc the last four digits are the color just before the NSF logo.

The easiest way to check the colour is go to your fabricator or caesarstone's showroom and grab a sample of the same colour and take it home to compare with your countertops. You will see immediately if there is an issue. I would then contact Caesarstone again about the issue. If you grab a couple of sample this will allow for any variations.

Light bouncing off different coloured doors, back splashes etc will throw different light color reflections to the different plans of view. Samples are the easiest way to check.

Colour variation is generally only a few shades from batch to batch as these guys have been around for 15 years in the marketplace. They have the process down pat.

I love to use Houzz and believe people here are trying to help out. I am just a customer who is paying over 10k for this project. How can I stand this mistake? I am here to looking for the information about colour variation in quartz. Now I understand that only slabs from the same batch are likely same in colour and pattern. My contractors, my mom, dad, and husband all saw this colour difference between the backsplash and the countertop. Unfortunately, I don’t have any left piece to compare on a same surface. So I don’t know if I still need to prove myself here since I get my answer.

No need to prove anything. But it would be so nice to update us after it gets fixed showing it matching much better. Hope it works out! Do a kitchen reveal if you feel up to it. It looks beautiful, and everyone will be nice! Not that I thought any comments were not nice, just trying to help. I like the quartz you chose.

Ms. Zhang:

You may not have a piece, but you do have access to a lamp and electricity. Please, for the third time, flood the two pieces with overwhelming light and take a picture. Then your contractors, mom, dad, husband, you, and all of us can see if this is a material or lighting issue.

I ordered Silestone and the two slabs were inadvertently ordered separately by the fabricator and were wildly different in color. They were more different than the picture you show. Luckily for me, the fabricator caught it before any installation and I went to choose two new slabs from the same lot, with sequential numbers. All this is to say you certainly can have huge color variations in quartz if there are multiple slabs. I agree you should get some great lighting to see if it's the slab or the lighting, but regardless, if you're not happy with it, it's wrong and you should hold your fabricator to providing you with a quality product. If the two slabs were truly not the same color, it should have been caught earlier.

Please do what Joseph suggested first. Get a bright light and put it up to the counter where the backsplash and the counter meet. Then please take a picture of the area. That will tell better if it's a problem with the materials or if it's a problem with the lighting.

Left is the deck of the Home Depot vanity, middle is the optional left splash purchased separately, right is the rear splash that came inside the top box, obviously all shown on the same plane.

Installed, the deck-matching rear splash appears to match the side splash that doesn't match when on plane with the deck. The only way the rear splash is ever going to match the deck again is when a light is shining directly on each. The side splash will never match, no matter the light.

Ms Zhang - you are asking about color variation in quartz... within one slab - no but from slab to slab there can be - it is the same principle as dye lots in paint, tile or wall paper. What folks here are trying to tell you is that the color difference you are seeing here is more likely attributed to lighting and shadowing effects vs it being 2 different color slabs. Feel free to contact your fabricator and see if there are any waster pieces left from your job so you can test this - but they are probably going to suggest shining a light on there first.

Does it look different at night? Try simply turning on an overhead light and stand back form the top and see what it looks like then....

And also get the numbers of the slabs from the fabricator for your warranty as someone else had suggested - then you can find out if they are from the same lot.

Good luck to you

Debbi as you would know as a interior designer, the colour variation is not acceptable as an industry standard. Nor is it acceptable from any of the major quartz manufacturers. I am sure you would not be happy if this was your clients kitchen.

Its not some cheap import from Home Depot with large colour variations from batch to batch.

Unless the stone fabricator has swapped out the brand for a cheaper brand chinese import., hence the colour variation

Our advice would be go back to Caesarstone and ask for a written report, incluidng batch numbers etc

One the underside of your countertop you will see some identification marks that will look like the photo. This is the batch numbers, production date and colour number

QSCCRE:

That's not bad advice, but that's not where you start on a problem like this. First you identify if there is a problem with a sample and bright lights. If your method is used first, and a different batch number is changed for one that's the same, the "problem" may not go away.

This Is way to far off to be a lighting issue or different plane. It's one of two possibilities both ending with a need to be replaced by the fabricator. 1 the yellow piece has spent some time out doors exposed to the sun. 2 (most likely scenario) staturio Maximus has had some back order issues the last few months so the 3/4 stock and 1-1/4 are from two very far apart lots. And should have been compared side to side by the fabricator prior to fabrication. Either scenario is fabricator error and should have either the deck or the backsplashes replaced with a better match.

granite guru:

You are probably correct, but all you and I have are internet pictures. For the time and effort it takes, it is insane to not verify with lighting and a sample.

This is like having your car not start and being too busy to check the gas gauge.

@ Quartz - just a side note - I am not an interior designer......

And thanks for all the info you are providing

I agree the color difference looks a bit extreme to be chalked up to angle of light and angle of viewing. A Color Muse is an amazing tool for situations just like this. Measure three to five solid areas on both horizontal and vertical pieces and you'll know within seconds if there's a match or if there's a problem.

And it's absolutely true that colors can look different depending on the angle of illumination and the angle at which the color is viewed, it's called Geometric Metamerism. Pronounced [muh-tam-uh-riz-uh m] --NOT-- [meta-mer-iz-uh m].

Color variation is not acceptable as this is man-made stone. Glad to hear that Caesarstone offered to replace the slab and would really like to see the updated kitchen, under the same light.

AKBDC:

According to quartz manufacturers, color, particulate, movement, slab thickness, resin pooling, and flatness are all variable and acceptable.

Not all though, the better ones such as Technistone, Cambria have very good QA

Cambria is one of the WORST when it comes to resin pooling. All of their colors with movement will allow big giant blobs of color as perfectly acceptable. "Flatness" is also a relative term to all manufactured stone. Just as it is quarried stone. There are tolerances.