Have you chosen your exact slabs? If so, your fabricator should be able to map each piece so you can see how your actual slabs will line up. Getting good seams may require you buy extra slabs.

I've only seen samples. They told me I can't see the actual slabs because they are manufactured out of province and my cabinet maker doesn't keep them in stock on site. He orders them in per job.

Man made slabs are predictably unpredictable. You can get good seams. If you are willing to buy the extra couple of slabs to make that happen. Most people aren’t willing to add an additional 6K to the quote.

Bookmatched natural stone would have a higher success rate. Again with the extra purchase of material.

You need to see your exact slab and have them template it before you sign off on it.

I don't think I can see them until they are arrive. They have not been ordered yet. Perhaps I should be looking at another company to do the counter top? I'm pretty worried about the whole thing now! Depending on pricing it may be possible to order extra slabs but this was an unplanned reno due to water damage (insurance is paying but not for the upgrade) so I really want it done right.

I am a fabricator. "U" shaped counters can be a challenge for grain transition because the pieces are necessarily oriented at 90 degrees relative to each other. A good fabricator will work with you and have you participate in the part layouts so you know ahead of time what to expect. Of course this requires the slabs to be available for your inspection. My suggestion would be to select a fabricator with inventory so you can see the slabs. Ultimately you are far more likely to be satisfied with the end result.

Your fabricator is just being honest, to set correct expectations. Some fabricators won’t be, and will let the pattern mismatch be a surprise. All “vein” patterned quartz will have similar issues.

Very very few fabricators maintain inventory of quartz. It’s almost universally ordered in as a special order. Seeing 10 slabs is not going to increase the success rate of you being satisfied. Changing your expectations to the realities of veined quartz vs your budget will.

Ok, that is good to know Sophie, thank-you. So how much of a mismatch will it be, in your opinion? He did tell me he would be able to place the island seam near where the wall is (so as not to be so obvious). I really love this quartz design but if I need to change it to something plain then I guess I will.

With a U-shaped kitchen, I would avoid counter materials that have direction or bold features. Those just work a lot better on stand alone islands or a galley style kitchen.

It is easy to match pattern on a straight piece like an island but when the shape has to make a 90 degree turn all the book matching in the world will not work. Either choose a product with less veining and more overall pattern or realize this is what you get.

Bookmatched countertops remind me of Rorschach inkblot tests. And I'm not telling what I saw in Joseph's picture post.

OMG, I see it now.