Both your choices will be problematic. Sorry. But if you really like it get and enjoy. Aftercall it's only a countertop and it can be repaired, refinished or replaced some day if it comes to that.

"Does anyone have some expert adivce (and by expert, i mean you've lived with) quartzite for a few yrs?"

Well, I guess that means a contractor licensed in two states who has written a column on countertops and their repairs for four consecutive years and has repaired dozens of etched marble tops is ineligible to respond because he's never owned the stuff.

Both your choices would most certainly not be problematic. True quartzite does not etch. It is harder than granite. Read the thread cpartist links to and know how to tell marble from quartzite.

I thought I was going to insist on quartzite myself, but fell for a marble and have decided patina is my friend. Staining is not an issue for most people. Marble gets sealed. The trouble is etching and spalling.

I've had quartzite in a well used kitchen for 4 years. Unfortunately it has chipped a bit (happens around the sink from washing pots, I think), but not etched or stained.

Joseph Corlett, LLC ..... You are most certainly welcome to comment on your experience. Working in the field definitely gives a hands on experience.

Thanks so far for all the input everyone! any one who has input/experience with Marble, let me know your findings with that as well please. thanks again! this will really help me i think with my wishy washy feelings over the two....

My marble counters are almost 15 years old. I have etches, scratches and a few dings but no stains. I still love them but I prefer loose linen to pressed cotton, have 100 year old wood floors and eat every meal with kids off an antique dining table water marks and all.

true quartzite will not etch but it seemed to me when looking at marble substitutes all the quartzite that looked as nice as real marble had lots of white talc areas which etched just like marble. So the quartzite that looks like marble often unfortunately acts like marble too. The bullet proof quartzite looked nothing like marble to me. They are lovely in their own way but not a substitute for the beauty of marble. I found I could not have my cake and eat it too, I had to sacrifice aesthetics or function. I chose aesthetics.

I have marble as well, though it's not in my primary house. I don't think of the etching and spalling as a sacrifice; just a fact of life. The feel and look of the marble cannot be beaten for me.

We have Calacatta quartzite (crosscut version of Macaubus White) in our kitchen...~ 2-3 years now. Quartzite does not etch, but it can stain. C/MW is a particularly porous stone. We sealed ours twice (Tenax Proseal, which resists both oil- and water-based liquids), and have had no issues with staining. Good luck!

I have Quartzite counter tops in my kitchen. They look like light gray marble with darker gray and gold veining. I am very hard on counter tops and these have held up amazingly well. I cook a lot, do a lot of projects, drink red wine (sometimes all three at the same time!) and when clean, my counter tops look exactly the same as when they were installed a few years ago. I seal them yearly.

Thanks again guys for all the comments , this is SO helpful.
For those who seal yearly do you do it yourself or have some do it? What product is being used to seal?
The stone yard suggested a lifetime sealer and a company that does it but I’m hesitant because I’ve heard the sealer they use for the lifetime is very plastic looking and can change the look of the stone (i.e. sort of neutralize any sparkle it may have or give it a grayish wash over the whole thing). Any thoughts / experience with this? Do you recommend just using a non lifetime sealer and doing it every year or few?

I seal the counter tops myself. Clean, let dry, wipe on sealer, let dry, buff. Done.

Lesleycurl what sealer do you use?

I like MORE 20 year sealer. Its a warranty sealer so if anything happens you are covered and it does not leave a residue like you described.

gpican, I'm not sure, someone gave it to me when they moved. It's a kit that contains a bottle of granite cleaner and a bottle of granite sealer. Obviously, I'm not real particular...

I have no experience but just went through this decision myself after reading through tons of threads. I went to the slab yard fully expecting to pick a white macaubus and then found a gorgeous calcutta orphan for my island and I just couldn't go back. I had my fabricator hone it so that will help with less noticeable etching, and I've accepted it will stain and age just like all the old marble counters in restaurants or old buildings and will probably be fine. It just got installed today so we'll see how it holds up!

Yay! Congrats Kimberly J!! I’m going to pick out my slabs in a couple hrs. Too! I decided on Bianco Olinda it had me like from the moment I saw it !!!

I would love to see pics of all your beautiful counters if you feel like sharing! Everyone describes such beautiful stones, I’d love to see them!!

This is at night, not in natural light, but you can get an idea of my soapstone and marble :)

Swoon ^^^^^^

Looks like this is in good hands with clarifying the differences between quartzite and marble. Good job, folks!

I have to say that this excerpt is so wildly wrong that I'm saving it as an example for the next time I give a talk on this topic:

".. they did in fact tell me it was
"Geologically Marble" but that it is an "Older Marble" (Bianco Olinda)
as opposed to a young marble like Carrerra Marble and is therefore
harder than the younger marbles making it a little closer to a
Quartzite."

That is SUCH NONSENSE. Calcite has a hardness of 3 on Mohs scale. This is true if it is 10 years old or a billion years old. Age does not change the properties of a mineral. Kudos to you, gpican, for not falling for that. And to CPArtist and others for setting the record straight every time you see incorrect information being passed around. You're helping clear the air and you're helping lots of people. Keep it up!

That said, marble is wonderful too. As long as you know it's marble when you decide to buy it!

Karin_mt
Thank you. I actually went back and did the quartzite test others suggested in other posts (with the glass ) and found that the one she tried to sell as quartzite did not cut into the glass but another piece that she had as quartzite did with little to no effort. I slid it down the edge of a raw side of the slab and it bit right into the glass bottle and left an etching in .
I don’t know if that’s really a true and accurate way to test quartzite but I refused to buy the slab after that. I’m still looking for something I like ..... :(((

I found the same information online that others have posted about quartzite and how to test for the real thing, then came to this thread looking for pictures of Victoria Falls quartzite that I fell in love at the yard my GC uses. But my take on is whole debate is that it doesn't matter what THEY call it - 'caveat emptor' - whatever your choice- go in with your eyes wide open.

Very true Ihlin. You make a very good point. It does not matter what it really is (at least that’s my thoughts on it). As long as YOU know what your buying/in for and your prepared to treat it the way it needs to be. I refused to buy it because I didn’t want to take my chances with Marble in my extremely messy/busy kitchen; Not because she thought it was quartzite and it wasn’t. Honestly I liked it so much that if it didn’t bother me whether it was Marble or Quartzite,,,, I would of bought it anyway. But I’m not sure I can risk it. I need 3 large slabs and it Would not be an easy/cost effective replacement down the rd. I need something that’s gonna hold up withought too much Babying. And the one I was looking st was white! So it would of been really scary for me. I’m not sure I want to worry so much about my counters like that.

Kimberly J how to you like your soapstone ?I am choosing soapstone but I love marble but know my husband is not careful enough so it will be on my bake station only. Your kitchen is awesome.

gpican, yes, your quartzite test method is correct. You can use the rough edge of the slab. Sounds like you got a definitive result, which is always helpful. Nice work!

Gpican- did you ever end up selecting a slab? Curious if you ended up with the Bianco Olinda after all. I’m looking at the same stone for our counters and would love to find someone that has experience with it.

I used panda Quartzite and it’s beautiful but has stained from red Wine not cleaned fast enough. They came out mostly but with a lot of work