Insist on doing your own in-person testing. If they won't allow it, get your money back.

It’s unfortunate that the whole industry is like the Wild Wild West. But if the slab passes your tests, it sure is pretty!

Thanks to all of you for your advice and expertise. I am particularly attached to this slab because of the heart at the top - - a sign I connect with my mom who passed in '14. (Maybe she's playing a game with me since she knows I can get lazy about cleaning LOL) So I feel that I'll have to do and live with whatever it takes to have this slab, and at the end of the day, the heart will always make me smile.

And Beth, thank you so much for your comprehensive response! I would love backsplash and perimeter countertop advice! I have a small kitchen with architectural constraints, so I'm going with a one-wall kitchen layout with a large center island (not curved as shown), and a hutch-type cabinet setup on one wall (it's now a bit different, with a counter on it as well.)

I have natural red oak floors. My plan is to have the perimeter painted white and the island a stained dark brown cherry. The dark brown really seemed to make the stone even a bit more dramatic, pick up on the hints of brown in the stone and I love seeing a peek of wood grain. I was considering using a Cosmos Quartz "Everest" or Cambria Weybourne for the perimeter counter but I'm not sure either is right.

As for the backsplash, NO WHITE SUBWAY!!!! I want something with personality! I had high hopes for this I saw online:

Playful, and hoping they'd be subtle with a white grout, but when I got the sample, there was a bit more grey and I'm afraid it may be too busy.

I also saw this which has a bit more interest than subway

But of course, now your blue suggestions are making me rethink the dark wood-grain island!

Thoughts?? Thank you so much!

First things first: Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss you’re experiencing. I hope I’m not out of line for using the present tense; it just doesn’t feel right to say it any other way. 🙂💙

Now, to your dilemma...

Did I just get “had” with River Blue Quartzite??

Maybe so. If it turns out that you were, based on what you wrote in the following paragraph, I’d say you got had in the most wonderful way.

I am particularly attached to this slab because of the heart at the top - - a sign I connect with my mom who passed in '14. (Maybe she's playing a game with me since she knows I can get lazy about cleaning LOL) So I feel that I'll have to do and live with whatever it takes to have this slab, and at the end of the day, the heart will always make me smile.

While the stone might fail an acid test, those words clearly indicate that it’s aced the acid test, which makes it the most perfect stone for you.

So kind Sammy <3

Thank you :)

theres some kind of coating you can put on marble to keep it from getting destroyed. my sister in law just had her marble island coated and it's holding up much better. I dont have any links or specific info for you, but if you're attached to the slab, there are options out there.

the blue river is a dolomite, so it's not as fussy as a carrara. I have dolomite in my bathroom and it's held up fine. The key is wiping up spills as quickly as possible. unlike marble, dolomite isn't going to etch immediately. ;

I think it's a beautiful stone. I'd consider putting it on your island and your perimeter. you should have enough for both.

If you don't, then put it on the island and let that be the star. the heart will show better.

For the other countertop, consider using a solid color quartz. maybe a soft blue/gray or a white. I would not bring in another pattern countertop. you already have two toned cabinets and a nice blue slab. Plus you want that really cool flower backsplash. (which I like). but if you want that, I'd do the plain white quartz against it. (or a soft gray).

look at Silestone Eternal. They have Serena (which I did my kitchen in the suede finish. my island is marble)

or they have the Desert Silver. you'd have to take a sample of your Blue and see which tone works better.

You may be able to get away w/something like either of these, but the less movement the better.

Or just go w/the solid white and make sure to do a warmer/bronze color sink like this copper one!

oh, as for the wavy tile? no. it's very contemporary looking once up. not a good look w/your options.

your flowers w/a white grout

If you really want this, then do your blue on the island and a solid white on the perimeter. this is a busy looking splash.

or, do the blue on both spots and that slate blue tile from fireclay.

if u are going with this slab: make sure you are there for templating to be ABSOLUTELY SURE you get 'the heart' where u want it and it is not 'cut off' as waste!! Best of Luck!!

my sympathies for the loss of your mom., i lost my mom as well in '14 and i miss her everyday...

flippernutter,,,,,I can't find the DM you sent me. doesn't show up after replied.

anyway, wanted to show you a few other tiles.

Bedrosians, Zenia

and I think this one was Tilebar

Winchester Tiles, Stream color

just grab a bunch of samples so that after the slab is installed, you can have them on hand to see how the color looks.

@Beth H. : Do you have any more information about these tiles you suggested above. I LOVE them!

J Pru Fireclay tile. the color is slate. the shape is, not sure! look under their shapes and you'll see it.

call them up and speak to Lindsey. she can send you out samples.

As mentioned above, BE THERE WHEN THEY TEMPLATE. The heart is so important to you that you absolutely must make sure where it goes. I agree with @Beth H that the daisy backsplash will be busy so carefully consider what surface goes where. It’s usually best to do the whole kitchen, especially the lighting, before any final backsplash decisions. Your kitchen will be gorgeous. That slab is amazing.

My husband and I just had River Blue installed in our new kitchen yesterday. We looked at several slabs from different suppliers. All classified it as a “hard marble” or “soft granite” depending on the quarry source. We were warned that sealing and wiping up spills quickly were the keys to keeping it beautiful and stain-free. That got us over our hesitancy about the risks. We waited for our selected supplier to bring in some slabs with lots of movement. They got some spectacular mirror image slabs and we were able to do book matching on a big island with some really incredible features (big white “dragon eyes” LOL) and even a book match at the main sink. As others said, ask for a preview of the layout before they do any cutting. Our fabricator gave us two potential options. Go with what feels right for you. That heart is beautiful and I love the connection with your Mom. My condolences. :’(. Very best of luck with your project!

I just fell in love with this today thought it was granite but see on estimate it is quartzite. what do i do now go back and ask for a sample and do all those tests? i dont mind having to seal something a coupke of times a year but dont want to panic over something spilled on a counter

@smlri Go for it! After 18 months with my counters, I have no regrets. Lots of spills, including some acidic stuff. Quick wipe and all is good. Just do a really good sealer.

Such a beautiful counter!! I can exhale after your reassurance. Thank you! i would hope that if it says quartzite on estimate, that’s what it is. did you get a sample before you bought it and do all the tests others here have mentioned? This is the one I want more subtle for my small space

That’s gorgeous! I just love the colour variations. You can go warm or cool with the cabinetry, fixtures, hardware. It’s a bit of a chameleon.

I did get a sample, but for decorating purposes. I didn’t do any testing. Just trusted in the guidance of our kitchen designer and the stone supplier who was also the fabricator. The owner did our templating because it was a pretty large job, 4 slabs. He told us about a sealing product they use. Sometimes they seem to be gimmicks but we trusted him. This particular product line called InvisaBLOCK, if it’s applied by the installers, has a 10-year warranty on it. Kit came with trial bottles of polish and cleaner. Plus some slab yards apply a coat of sealer at the yard before fabricating. This was just extra insurance. That alleviated an awful lot of anxieties. In fact, my copper sink is more high maintenance than the counters. LOL

Thanks for all of the info. makes me feel so much better after reading here about some of the problems people have had with their countertops. It does get a sealing when i get it and I will look for that product you recomend for the extra peace of mind 😁😁🤞🤞

Glad to be of help! Ask your fabricator about it. I think it has to be done by them for the warranty to be applicable. Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be effective for DIY, you just won’t have recourse if there is some damage that would otherwise be covered. It was $150 for the application. That seemed like an inexpensive insurance policy to our minds when you think how pricey the slabs are.

Look forward to seeing your counters installed!

So glad to have found this discussion. I was looking for a "wow" slab for my large island and wanted something with blue. The slab company that supplies my countertop supplier showed me a number of pieces, but I fell in love with this stone, which they called "Blue Dunes" but acknowledged it's "Fantasy Brown" with more blue than brown in it. I plan to do gray/brown wood stained cabinets on the perimeter and a green/gray cabinets on the island. I'm thinking about light blue tiles for the backlash. See photos below. I'm willing to do the maintenance for the island counter, but want something low maintenance for the perimeter countertops.

@fitfor94 - Please don’t buy your backsplash tiles until your kitchen is totally finished - including lighting. It is extremely hard to see how a backsplash will look - in YOUR space - prior to installation. There are a ton of backsplash dilemmas on this forum for a reason. It’s a hard decision, so don’t buy anything but samples of possible backsplash tiles. Your stone choice is lovely.

fitfor94,,,,

If you like the fantasy 'blue', why not hold off and look at BlueFlower granite? it's a granite w/bits of light blue

much easier to care for and it shouldn't be too expensive. Blue Flower granite is in the same family as Alaska White (Delicatus White)

https://www.greatlakesgm.com/products/blue-flower-granite/

Cielo quartzite, or cielo blue (honed is nice) is another one w/blue

And yes, like Red said, please wait for the tile selection AFTER the countertop is in.

There are some beautiful light blue tile choices that would look very nice w/that granite

We bought this stone for our bathroom 6+ years ago, as River Blue granite; within months we noticed darkness around the edges. After watching the spots and my husband’s behavior around his sink (it’s worse on his side) I discovered it’s from the oils in his skin; he leans his arms on the counter while brushing his teeth. I don’t think it looks good, but I think these dark areas are here to stay, unfortunately. He’s right handed, so his left arm leans on the counter…clear as day.

🤔🤔🤔 I am getting my River Blue counter installed on friday. wish me luck!

Good luck! Post photos.

Do not buy dolomite marble! have to teat it with baby globes and looks horrible after 6 months. We were douped and told it was quartzite!!

HU-7516 Which stone did you get? you have a pic? Super White is Dolomite and is often passed off as a quartzite. many places try and sell marble as quartzite.

I am almost done with everything in my kitchen-cant find chairs i like🤣🤣 i do love my counter though -River Blue quartzite so easy to care for and looks beauiful. i get so many compliments! heres a couple of old pics and will b uploading the finished project soon

I am so confused about the type of stone River Blue is. i was told Quartzite i was also told country of origin is Italy. But i'm seeing it could be India.

Looks awesome @smrli!! Have you thought about suspended chairs? That’s what we did. So happy not having to clean dog hair from around chair legs anymore. ;) We got them from Seating Innovations based in Utah. They offer a lot of options for styles, fabrics and finishes. We haven’t yet installed the foot rail for the counter chairs.

Pardon my ignorance but what are they suspended from? i see no wires or anything has David Copperfield been to visit?😁😁 They do look really nice, though

@HU-326943835 I think others have mentioned that River Blue is not quartzite. It’s closer to marble. Though some say it’s slightly more durable than marble but a little more delicate than granite. And it comes from various quarries around the world. Had my counters over 2 years now. I adore them. Mine does have some gorgeous crystalline areas (looks like a geode that was sliced), but no one called it quartzite. If you scroll up to earlier comments, you’ll see them at the ends of my large island. I call them my “dragon eyes.”

Sadly I did manage to etch a spot recently … a package of tomatoes leaked and I didn’t notice. They had been bought recently, so didn’t expect them to go bad so quickly (must have been a bad one in the middle), but I had neglected to put a tray under them as I usually do. Sealing protects against stains but not etching. Fortunately it was only surface damage, and our fabricator was able to buff it up, without going deeper into the top layer of the stone. Resealed and good to go. Stain has faded a bit more over time. I don’t even notice the it anymore unless the light hits it at a sharp angle. Barely visible in the last pic. Learn from my screw-up. 🤪

@smlri you’re not ignorant! We scratched our heads initially as well. LOL It’s an ingenious system, essentially cantilevered with main supports inside the cabinetry and even under the flooring at the table area. Brackets were installed before the counters went on and my husband added extra supports because of the additional weight of the islands. He likes things uber sturdy. ;) They do have a retrofit option for existing kitchens. If you go their website (and they’re on Houzz too) you can see how all it works. Wonderful people to work with.
https://seatinginnovations.com/

Is there anything folks on this thread do at the fabricators to see if it's quartzite vs marble (like a knife test)? I'm looking now and many places thus far have INSISTED that River Blue or Fantasy Brown are quartzite. So now I'm worried that other slabs marked quantize are mischaracterized as well...so I'm leaning towards granite. But I really like quartzite. I could buy a remnant and test at home I guess. I'm just really disillusioned about the whole thing.

@oconchr
I didn’t do testing, but I did research. In the case of River Blue, and I believe Fantasy Brown, both are somewhat more durable than marble (two slab yards I went to labelled RB as “hard marble”) but less heat tolerant than granite. And like marble, RB will etch easier. Sealing can’t prevent that, just diligence to avoid acidic stuff. I’ve done the big oops. Even so, I don’t regret my counter choice. Category of marble vs granite seems to depend on the quarry the slabs are cut from. No one I talked to ever tried to claim they were quartzite. Several people commenting in this thread have said the same. To some degree you have to trust in the knowledge and experience of the people you source from and your fabricator. My kitchen designer was an encyclopaedia on different stones as well. FWIW, I put quartzite (Sea Pearl) in my laundry/powder room.

" And like marble, RB will etch easier. Sealing can’t prevent that..."

This is no longer true. MORE Anti-Etch prevents marble etching. Not up for debate.

Thanks! I will look into it. It wasn’t something I came across four years ago. :)

@ Joseph: Are you saying fabricators put on the MORE Anti-etch? Or is this after-market application? And since you are a pro, I assume you've not had any issues with the river blue or fantasy brown with the MORE Anti-etch??

I've been looking at granite on-line all day...and I am just not a fan of the splotches and such. (I will head to stone yards on Saturday.) I have granite now, but it's black leathered and works with the orig. pickled oak cabinets. But I was hoping to go with a mid-brown/walnut stain on lowers and white uppers and I think the black granite will be too dark. And we are expanding the breakfast bar so I would need a new countertop for that regardless.... I am open to not staining the base cabinets...our designer said to find countertop 1st and we can adjust based on what we find. OR just keep the black granite and buy new slab for new breakfast bar??

I’ve had my River Blue for more than a year now and i havent had any issues. Sealing as instructed when purchased and just try to make sure i wipe counter after something spills. No fuss and I love it!

Thanks smrli, nice to hear you've not had any issues. Problem I have is that I have teens... I know I would wipe counter after spills. But I'm happy to hear about the anti-etch product....

I have grandkids…..not sure who makes more of a mess😄😄😄😄

I would strongly suggest avoiding a product that requires taking down the factory finish on stones like this, by way of sanding. If you ever decide to remove a chemically bonded coating, you won’t achieve the stones original polish. They’ll instead beat around the bush and convince you to leave it honed, as an even factory polish won’t be possible