Thank you! :)

Love them! Taj Mahal is gorgeous and so is your kitchen!

W,,,it's beautiful. it deserves an equally beautiful backsplash. have you heard of EncoreCeramics? they have so many beautiful glazes, and blends and shapes and sizes. very upper end tiles. maybe check over there and see if you like anything

or, something else besides the obligatory white subway

Wolfer - Did either your fabricator or the store where you made the purchase from indicate why the stones kept breaking? Is it more fragile than others? The store that we have ours 'on hold (meaning we purchased but have a no restocking fee money back should we change our mind). from has them tested, and marked, five for both acid and hardness test - and said that they do this now because of having to replace quartzite in the past, so they ensure this doesn't happen again.

Do you think that the fragility/cracks of the Dolce were specific to that 'batch' or do you think that it's the specific color that is an issue?

Your kitchen looks gorgeous by the way!

Beth, I love the choices you dropped in as my husband and I have been having a heck of a time trying to find backsplash to compliment the stone!

Wow! Thank you for the input! I was thinking of posting a HELP me to find a backsplash, haven't done it yet. The island countertop is going to be a mahogany distressed wood, our floors are Brazilian cherry. I was thinking the backsplash should be really subtle. I like the Pratt and Larson motif tile (photo attached) behind the cooktop with a coordinating off white subway tile. I was thinking of a 3" x 12" subway? And, I am not sure how wide the molding piece should be? I didn't really want a standout picture frame look, this isn't easy. :)

mycommenthere, we don't know why they cracked. They were very light in color, see above, and maybe that was part of the issue? We were told that stone while in slab form is far more fragile when moved than when it is sits on your counter. It was SO disappointing!!!

wolfer, that one is very nice. check w/Pratt/Larson to see if they have the matching subway tile in that same white crackle glaze (they should). using some other company and the whites will look 'off'. Or, just use that motif tile for the entire space. it's very subtle and will enhance your Taj.

and BTW,,,here is someone else who just finished her backsplash w/her TAJ

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/taj-mahal-quartzite-backsplash-dsvw-vd~5300333

Beth H, I have a sample large off white subway tile (4" x 16") in an off white shade that I was considering, it looks very similar in general appearance. I thought it was too much off white and the tiles are big. If the 3" x 12" a good size? Yes, P & L makes a coordinating subway tile though the shade is a bit off. I am thinking a small modding piece around the decorative tiles? I don't want to put too much emphasis on it.

if you don't want much emphasis, they look at doing a Schluter metal trim piece. I did it w/mine in the shower (it's in black around the herringbone and the niche,

but the trim comes in all colors and widths. you could do a simple gold or nickel color, depending on which hardware you choose. and you really should do a soft gold or brass w/the taj majal. it's the perfect choice)

but, here are some taj backsplashes where they done the accent piece. Another option I've seen is do your motif tile behind the stove, and then run the Taj up the wall for the rest of the backsplash. looks nice that way too.

(they did it w/this one)

mother of pearl looks pretty good w/taj

i like this look, but the 2x8 or 3x9 tiles would have been better...like the ones below

this is also pretty w/the herringbone, but the white grout ruins the design, below.

Oh, as for the 6x12 tiles? no. this is what they look like. far too big and bulky.

Beth - Love your taste! LOVE that shower! I'm a huge fan of mother of pearl, but Wolfer should be warned it is PRICEY! It's around $200-$500.00/sq. feet where we live.

mycomm,,you can find sheets of exactly what I posted for less than 30 a sq foot! not sure what rare MOP you've got around you! maybe abalone! the black lip MOP is what's pricey. this stuff is over $50 a sheet

on amazon you can get the sheets for less than$20

$18.95

WOW...thanks for sending these. We live in Northern CA and have been to 2/3 shops and they are all very very pricey. The sales guy told me the pricing of two of them (not sure what MOP they were), and I just told my husband to walk away every time he touched one. I just 'assumed' they were all around the same pricing.

oh well, just let me know and I can steer you in the right direction! I've actually ordered a few sheets of the white MOP for my mosaic projects. they're very thin, but still pretty.

the Black Lip are the pricey ones. not sure about the abalone. but the white one and the tan/white,,,those are very reasonable.

tilebar.com has them, HD has them

and this place, has quite a few for under $30.

http://www.discountglasstilestore.com/mother-of-pearl-seashell-mosaic/

Oh and glasstileoasis also has quite a few. I can't remember who i've ordered from!

https://www.glasstileoasis.com/browse-by-category/shell-tiles.html

I think that's what it may be....my husband WONT let me buy anything thin (even though we don't have the money to splurge). I REALLY like the second pix in your thread that you sent...do you have the link for that? THANK YOU!

which one? can you copy paste and stick it in comments? second pic? lol....i've posted like 20 pictures. second pic in my first comment or second pic in the last batch?

these?

Yes, these...you're a sharp one! :) You understood my gibberish! I want to also ask you for some thoughts/suggestions on our kitchen. :). :). Will send it in the next 30 min! :)

Beth - So we are looking to redo JUST our countertops in the kitchen. We currently have 6 x 6 tiles that are in pristine condition, but I'm SO tired of keeping them that way. While shopping for bathroom tiles (that redo is a must do to some water issues), we glanced at granites, and although we were considering light (marble like) granite for the kitchen when we eventually would get to the kitchen, we ran into a couple of Lemurian Blue slabs that we fell in love with. Even though I love love the stone, I started to panic because of how dark it is, and if we would love it down the line. My hubby is absolutely in love with it and thinks we should move forward. SO, we compromised and opted to put the L.B. on the kitchen island (and maybe paint the maple a light/soft creme color), and then keep the parameter countertops in the back in a light/marble like granite.

Looked and looked until we (again) fell in love with Dolce Vita Quartzite in Leathered (funny how we are ending up with stuff that we never really liked or considered as I always said NO to leathered granite/quartzite).

Anyway, now we are thinking about backsplash. Obvious choice would be to take the Dolce up to the kitchen cabinets, however that is WAY too pricey (price of another slab + paying someone for fabrication)....so tile it must be, unless you can suggest an alternative?

I really like the look of doing a little something behind the oven (when it will be eventually removed sometime down the line - in a year or two), but I'm afraid that with the L.B., the Dolce, and the maple cabinets, the kitchen will look KOO KOO!

Below is our current kitchen....

Beth, amazing suggestions! We are using a brass look, the hardware (see photo) and the lighting will have brass accents ( see 2nd photo). I like the "Schluter metal trim piece" idea! I see the Taj Mahal is very light in the examples you used, the lighter Taj is HARD to find here. The slabs we chose were the lightest we could find and they still aren't as light as what you'd posted, good enough though. :) Thank you for taking the time to help, it is much appreciated!

mycommenthere, did you go to the East Bay to pick your slabs? Do you have a sample of the existing tile you have to take with you to match? It helped me a lot to do that. It is a stressful process!

Wolfer, didn't realize you're local! We went to the San Jose area...there are SO many places to purchase slabs from. If we have white colored cabinets, we'd have so many choices, one of which would be Taj! However I'm afraid with our cabinets the Taj will make the kitchen 'too yellow'! If we could find Taj in a light color, we'd def. go that route.

Where did you make your purchases from (both Taj and Dolce)? And may I ask who your fabricator was? What edging you picked (we are thinking of straight mitered edge)? And if you were happy with his skills?

Thank you!

We went to MSI in Hayward. The fabricator, Stone Etc, is also in Hayward and they did a very nice job. We used the ogee square edge since it semi matches the trim on the cabinets and island. What color is the Dolce that you found?

Ogee Square:

MSI:

https://www.msistone.com/slabinventory/search/msi/

Stone Etc:

http://www.stoneetcinc.com/

Thanks! We went to MSI about two years ago (when we weren't really considering changing countertops). We were sent there by a local Granite store that said we can pick what we want and they will purchase it for us.

Fast forward, once we picked the Labradorite for the island we knew we have to pick something super light for the parameter. Looked and looked (everything had gray in it which will fight with our cabinets), and saw Dolce, LEATHERED, and fell in love. I thought it might be good to do leathered on Dolce with polished on Labradorite.

The Dolce is the same exact color as yours (we fell in love) because it's such a non-intrusive color. I told my husband about the comments I've read on this thread, as well as your experience with the slab cracking, etc., He still wants to go forward with it.

Do you find that the fabricators are just throwing bids out? Or was yours reasonable? We are finding that each one just throws a price to see what sticks!

mycommenthere,,,those mosaics in the pic you asked about are from Encore Ceramics. they are all handmade and prob not budget friendly! i know most of their stuff is in the $35-$50 range. if you don't have a lot of square footage, then look over and see what they have (and they do have gorgeous tile)

but to really find something that works, lets wait until the cabs are done and the countertops are in. trying to pick something now would be foolish because you won't know how it's all going to look. when it's all in, start your own post and let me know and i'll be glad to help.

As for fabricators, I assume they will be all over the place. normally a good starting point is double what the stone cost, maybe a bit lower. for a standard kitchen with easy cuts, a simple enough island, 3-6K would be in the ballpark. it depends on the stone, how easy it is to cut, fabricate to your measurements, etc. and of course leathering is a whole other process and takes more time. so, more money. if you offer to pay in cash, you'll usually get better deals.

I just talked to Edith - Stone Etc., she said they no longer deal with residential (as of May 1st). :(

I appreciate you writing back, and the info. on the backsplash, Beth.

We are keeping cabinets, as they are in great condition!

Thank you again!

i meant, if you decide to paint them. I thought you mentioned a cream color or something. if you do that, then wait until it's complete and the counters installed before deciding on a splash.

Yes, great memory (better than mine). We are going to paint the island only. I also appreciate your input. We decided to wait until the counters were installed and etc. before bringing samples home. :)

Too bad about Stone Etc. We went through a kitchen designer for many details, the fabricator being one so I don't know what they charge from place to place.

Since we were told the Dolce can etch we were semi-prepared mentally for that. Have you done a test on a sample of your stone to see if it does? I really love the color of the Dolce and was sad to move on, good luck with yours.

I agree with Beth. I think that Pratt and Larson used throughout the backsplash would be stunning. It's subtle enough that it won't compete but will enhance the Taj Mahal.

Wolfer, thank you! I talked to the lady at the Fabricator, and asked her about Dolce...she remembered that incident, and she actually asked if your name was (...) and I said YES. She remembered you really well...and said that she walked in the room when you guys were deciding on the edging of your stone, and told me how beautiful the finished product was.

My husband and I fell in love with color (or lack of) Dolce as well, but we weren't told about the etching. We live about 45 min. away from the store and hoping to make it there this Saturday. Planning on looking into testing it there and see how it goes.

The slabs that we fell in love with were already on hold (GOR-GEOUS), and we were the next in line, but UNFORTUNATELY the individuals finalized the deal. The ones we have on hold (not yet purchased) have some hard veining that I'm not too fond of, and some chipping on the corners. Found out yesterday, from a fabricator, that typically if a stone (granite or otherwise) has chips on the side, most likely they will acquire a crack from that point on during the transport from the store to the fabricator.

Hoping that our trip on Saturday will take place and be a successful one!

I wouldn't pine over the Dolce if I were you, your kitchen looks fabulous.

Our choices are limited, since our cabinets are maple....so far Dolce is the only one that would compliment it.

cpartist, I had a paint colorist come help me to choose paint colors and she felt the "matching" undertone in the subway tile doesn't match the Taj Mahal very well, sigh.

mycommenthere, the light Dolce is very enticing for sure! I hope you find the right slabs! We didn't have any more time to search, we had ours held at the fabricator for a long time and didn't think we would have have to suddenly change direction. Thank you for the nice words and we are happy, but... :) Good luck tomorrow!

Thanks Wolfer! BTW: Don't listen to the paint colorist 'expert'. It's your house, your taste, your choice...and I believe all of us that posted on your thread are in love with your end results! Enjoy...

mycommenthere, how did it go Sat?

UGH...not sure. We picked TWO slabs (one as the main for the parameters, and the other as a'back up').

Sign on the tone said/says hardens and acid test 5, which means the most durable. But our invoice doesn't specify that, and rather says 'soft quartzite'. WHAT? There is no such thing as soft quartzite. Needless to say I have a pounding headache now (as we read it when we got home and store is closed until tomorrow).

We are also in a dilemma about what we need to do with our kitchen, design wise.

We have honey maple cabinets, were thinking of putting Labradorite blue on the island, paint the island a creamy white color, then get the dolce for the parameter countertops and leave those cabinets as is. Now rethinking the whole situation. Should we use the labradorite blue on the island? Should we do all of the countertops a neutral stone? Is the Dolce out? Is it in?

Called Bedrosian's and they said their Dolce's are labeled as quartzite but it's best to get the fabricator out to check and see (as even if we do the scratch test, it can vary from batch to batch as well as to the different areas of the actual stone).

We feel like we've wasted time and not sure what to do.

Thoughts/suggestions are most welcomed!

there are soft and hard quartzite. the hard ones include Taj, Sea Pearl . soft will behave more like marble. Fantasy Brown is considered more of a soft quartzite.

Dolce is labeled as a quartzite, The only way to know for sure that a material labeled as quartzite is the real deal is to test some samples with some acid. (Ask your stone expert for help with that, though.)

remember, some slabs have a higher concentration of calcite (marble). some have more quartz, which will make it harder. They're all different, so it basically depends on the slab you're looking at.

here's the Lab. Blue. I would not mix this w/anything except a black.

Lemurian Blue Lab,,,this is stunning

and a very light Lab Blue. (where do they find these beautiful stones?!

Thank you Beth! Ours Lab is more like the first one you posted. It is a beautiful stone, Our kitchen, however, is not very big (I'm sure you saw the picture), that's why we thought maybe two different slabs (a Lab with a Dolce)!

So, should we just nix the Lab and go with a light granite/quartzite?

As well, thank you for the info. on 'soft quartzite'. I think the issue here is that we've read/heard that you can test an 'area' for hardness and acid, but it still does not equate to the full stone (different areas will react differently).

correct,,they will. often times you can see the quartz deposits.

what about Taj? you didn't like that one? that would look nice w/your elements.

as for mixing those other two,,,no. no. no. they do not work together. pick one or the other. If it was mine, I'd trim out the little island and paint it white, and do a butcher block in a warm walnut. (and square off the overhang,,no more curve)

just some simple trim work and paint

it will look similar to this when done.

or paint it in black, which would look great w/the lab. and here is the walnut butcher block.

mycommenthere, from what I have learned some slabs are labeled as quartzite when indeed they are not, it is very frustrating. You have time to sort it all, we didn't and it makes a difference. Just breathe and take it one step at a time. If you paint your cabinets you will have more options. To be honest...I am glad we went with the Taj, it is durable.I let lemon juice sit on a sample for 24 hours and no etching.

Beth - Thank you for being so sweet to take time. I've had a MAJOR migraine the past few days over this! All your thoughtful input means to me more than you can imagine. We LOVE the lab. but just not a good fit with our current kitchen! :(.

We have actually already decided on changing out the current kitchen island (changing the curved look into a rectangular, enlarging it, and adding decorative trims). I LOVE the idea of black...but I don't think our kitchen is big enough to accommodate that. The butcher block won't work, as our sink is on the kitchen island.

Wolfer - I know you understand too well our dilemma as you experienced it first hand. The Dolce we found is leathered and GOR-GEOUS! If the store backs up their slab with the acid and hardness test that they had tagged their stone with, we might consider going with it - but I think we are ready to nix both the Lab. and the Dolce, taking a break for a few weeks, and then starting again with a new search.

I'm not a fan of the Taj SOLELY because I think the gold/beige veining, mixed in with our honey walnut cabinets, will turn the kitchen too yellow!

Hoping we can find the 'right' stone that will make the kitchen POP!

Thank you thank you thank you Beth and Wolfer! :)

I think it is wise to take your time. We had decided against the Taj Mahal too and it is ironic that we have it now. Keep looking and researching, good luck!

I just put a slab of Dolce de Vita on hold. Upon reading this, I'm concerned. It was labeled as a quartzite. The worker moving the slabs told me it was from Australia, then sent to Italy for polishing. Searching on line, I learned this slab is called Austral Dream and labeled as a marble in Australia. I'm going to talk with my fabricator about the cracking.

@mycommenthere What did you decide for a counter top? I basically have to start at square one. Every other stone supplier has that Dolce labeled as marble. I spoke with my fabricator, but they would not know until it arrives. They told me they'll know immediately if it is not quartzite, since quartzite is extremely hard to cut and fabricate. That's why it costs more! And they told me a previous customer had issues with that same stone supplier and mislabeled stone that etched. Stone center would not stand by their product, so they had to repair it at their expense.

Beth said there are hard and soft quartzite. She is wrong. If it's soft, it is NOT quartzite. It's marble. Quartzite is harder than granite. Period.

cp,,,,this is from 2 years ago. I've since learned there is not hard/soft. I've commented on many other posts since this time and clarified that either it's quartzite, or its marble, no in between. At the time, with the info out there, that's what was being said about these slabs. I've listened to another geologist on here and was schooled properly. So please, no need to be quite so harsh. I know I'm not perfect.

But thanks

Dolce is a marble. But these best way to determine is the glass test

if your stone cuts the glass, it's granite or quartzite, if it doesn't and your stone leaves powdered residue, (like chalk) it's marble. Glass is harder than marble.

take a sample piece and drop some lemon juice on it. 5 mins. wipe away. did it etch? it's marble.

I stumbled onto this discussion at just the right time. I am looking for quartzite and brought a sample of Dolce home. It's the perfect color for my cabinets and flooring but.... I put some lemon juice on a sample. Washed it off about 2 hours later and it was really etched!! I believe it had etched pretty quickly. Just forgot to wash the juice off. A salesman at another stone place suggested that I test my sample to make sure it was the harder version of Dolce. It isn't. I love it, but cook and bake a lot so we probably won't use it. So far there isn't anything else that works as well with my cabinets. It would be great to LOVE the counter material considering the expense for two slabs!

Eileen, there is no such thing as harder versions. Dolce is a marble not a quartzite. there is no in=between w/quartzite, or soft or hard. It's either quartzite or it not.

Dolomite is marble's first cousin. Dolomite usually takes a little bit longer to etch then marble.

@Eileen Hecht My cabinets are a silky blonde. It has been difficult finding the right stone. The Dolce Vita was perfect - quartzite but looked like marble, creamy and rich. Before I cancelled my hold, I emailed two stone companies - one in Australia and one in London that features Australian stones. They were both kind enough to respond. Note: There are only four stones from Australia - Austral Dream/Dolce Vita, Austral Pearl/Dolce Vita Bianco/White, Pilbara Red (Rosso Venezia) and Pilbara Green (Verde Venezia). They are all marble.

Here is one response: "Austral Dream, also known as Dolce Vita, is a true marble from Australia. If it is being labelled as quartzite, this is not accurate." Here is the other man's response: "The stone, which is quarried from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is a dolomitic marble with quartz veins and probably the reason many in the industry refer to it as a soft quartzite. It has the beauty of marble with many of the properties of granite as it is 3 times harder and less porous than the Carrara Italian Marble." I also emailed a photo of my Dolce Vita slab and learned it was NOT Dolce Vita. It was Dolce Vita Bianca/Austral Pearl. He sent me this photo of a Dolce Vita Bianca that was just quarried and processed.

I know this is an old post, but your kitchen looks lovely. I'm about to do a Dolce Vita countertop in my bath and I'm wondering if you would mind sharing the paint color you did on your cabinets? Thanks