Did you not notice this when you were picking your slabs?

Did you not work with the fabricator to choose which sections of the slabs you wanted in certain locations?

Natural stone isn't perfect.

I have Taj Mahal quartzite with some fillers, but it is in the middle of the island and not in a conspicuous spot. It is pretty smooth.

I knew my 3 TM slabs had some fillers and definitely more than the 3 TM slabs I had bought four years earlier for a different kitchen in another town/state. I felt lucky to find 3 light colored TM slabs during covid at an off-the-beaten-path stone yard. The well known stone yards had no TM inventory.

Chispa said it wisely... natural stone isn't perfect.

Can you post more photos?

Some close and some further away? Adding a pen (as Chispa did) helps with perspective.

I see a bit of red/pinkish color on your photo. Did you put it there (on the photo) to highlight the flawed spot or is that color part of the stone?

Right now for me, it's like a scab that itches.

It actually does look like 3 freshly picked scabs. That is disgusting. 🤢

Why is it red?

The stone has some rose in it. Yes, my designer and I picked the slabs. We did not run our hands over the entire slabs, though. And yes we chose the areas we wanted in certain locations. That was done by computer, not at the fabricator's.

I suppose it is iron deposits then?

I saw this soapstone with the copper veining and I think it is beautiful.

However yours looks like 3 small chips that someone took a red sharpie and colored inside the dent.

You mentioned having some rose in the slab. Can we see those areas? Are there any other darker red spots that are not chipped out?

I don't have a clue what I'm really talking about, but that rarely stops me. Ha.

If they're indented, can they be filled with black resin that more closely matches the stone?

Keep in mind I am a person who uses Sharpies to fix all kinds of imperfections. A little dye covers a world of sins. So if you like the stone otherwise, I'd see if the fabricator can make it match the rest of the stone better. Even if it's not perfect, it would look better than the red - IMO anyway.

The counters look like they may actually be phyllite not soapstone.

Also, polishing or sanding soapstone will not weaken the slab.

It is soapstone.

Why do you believe it is soapstone? The rock appears to have foliated layers with quartz inclusion but not veining as soapstone does. And the red inclusions are more likely to appear in phyllite.

Doesn’t look like soapstone to me, either. I have soapstone, and have extensive experience with soapstone. My son and his partner, also have soapstone…as do friends of mine. We all purchased ours from the largest soapstone specialist in the US, M. Teixeira.

Guaranteed, you got yours from a generic stoneyard…who’s passing off a phylite, as soapstone.

Look at the gorgeous soapstone with the carmelized veining, @rebunky posted. That’s what real soapstone looks like. Or this:

P.S. Just the fact that your fabricator said “they can come out and polish the entire countertop for $750, but it may not make a difference, and/or it may come back, and polishing may weaken the slab.”, tells me he either knows what he sold you is not soapstone, or he knows nothing about soapstone and its properties.

Real soapstone is never polished. It is sanded to a specific grit, for a smooth, sensuous matte appearance and feel. Also, as @s m said, sanding (or polishing, as your fabricator said), will not weaken soapstone. Soapstone is the densest countertop material on the market.

I did not purchase this material from the fabricator. I purchased from the largest provider of soapstone in this part of the US. They only sell stone. They provide soapstone for universities and directly to/for geologists. They have been in business 47 years. They are a Natural Stone Wholesaler and are a member of the Natural Stone Institute. Their soapstone is tested. What I have is soapstone.

The fabricator was trying, perhaps awkwardly, to discourage me from doing anything more with the stone (I misspoke about the integrity of the stone. It would NOT be effected by polishing). He had the owner give me a call. So I've now spoken to the owner of the stone wholesaler and the fabricator. They are not associated with each other. Both recommended that I do nothing right now and enjoy living with the stone. If I choose to, I can always have it polished, but neither recommended it.

Thank you for your feedback. I should have just gone to the source to start with.

Example: Stratus Stone surfaces is a natural stone wholesaler that is a member of the Natural stone institute and has a phyllite listed as soapstone/slate.

Marine Black (Soapstone/Slate) Premium Honed

The additional photos you posted are very helpful. It's relatively small and I would do like you said and live with it for a while. Enjoy the natural beauty of your countertops. The photo you posted from further away looks really pretty. Whatever the specific type of stone you have, it's natural and it's beautiful.

Another vote for living with it. Commenting on your metaphor of a scab- we have black leathered granite we love with some random inclusions. One of which looks like a dried blob of ketchup. Nightly we try to clean the ketchup off. It’s been YEARS

"Why is it red?"

He may have bled into his repairs. I've done it. Looks just like that.

That needs an insert, not an adhesive, type repair to be much more inconspicuous. No blood this time please.