You may want to look at Silestone. It has the look of natural stone, but none of the upkeep, and comes in some gorgeous colors, even varieties of black in keeping with your desired theme.

Any highly polished dark surface is going to have the fingerprint issue. So if the quartz has as polished a finish as granite (which I'm not sure about, but you can tell by looking at samples), the issue will be the same. You also might want to consider a matte finish--either honed or leathered--in granite (and I think engineered quartz comes in matte finishes too). Our soapstone (oiled) has a black matte finish and we have no problems with fingerprints, etc. (But soapstone requires other kinds of maintenance.)

Check out the available colors of silestone. Those with a subtle pattern would camouflage fingerprints. http://www.silestoneusa.com/colors/hues/

Virtually maintenance free - just wipe with a damp cloth! I've had mine for 5 years and it still shines - no scratches!

I second Silestone...we had it in two kitchens we renovated and now have granite, which was already installed in condo. Miss the ease and look of Silestone.

That is an exceptionally yummy piece of soapstone, corgidusty!

Soapstone requires maintenance, silestone nothing!

Love my soapstone counters but, be aware, they need to be oiled every few weeks and chip rather easily. Accidentally dropped something from an upper cabinet and ended up with a rather deep chip below. HOWEVER, the material is soft and can be sanded easily. I love them anyway with my white cabinets. Classic!

@nap_sd: Try Soapstone Wax rather than mineral oil. It lasts longer. We found we needed to wax ours approximately once every month or two in the first year and now (after three years) only once every 6-8 months.

Thanks feeny, never heard of soapstone wax. Of course, now we need to re-train the cleaning lady :)

There are different companies that make it. We use Dorado Soapstone Wax, which was recommended by our countertop fabricator. The original tub of it we bought three years ago is still more than half full.

If you want the black polished look you may have the same issue with smudges and prints regardless of what you choose. My vote would be for an engineered stone over granite as it is maintenance free. My tip for you would be to dry it with a microfibre cloth after wiping it down, as it polishes up nicely and does not show any streaks.

Engineered = Silestone or similar. My Silestone countertop has stood the test of time (and no, I don't work for them, nor do I receive any compensation for saying this). The product is durable and maintenance free - just a damp cloth.

Yes, jacira, I have Ceasarstone and you'd think I work for them also, as I'm always singing their praises. Ours is a light colour and nothing stains it, it takes a beating, tolerates heat and looks fabulous after a quick wipe. We couldn't be happier with it.

Do you have alot of natural light in your kitchen? If so a lighter color might work better- Anything dark usally does show fingerprints or dust and needs more attention. - if you chose a lighter counter top its usally more forgiving- I had ceasarstone in my last kitchen and bathrooms- I loved the product and found the lighter colors worked better- In our next reno we are going to use it again-