I find it interesting that in an earlier comment it was mentioned that the slabs are stored outside. However immediately below is an answer from QM about whether their quartz can be used outside. I don't believe 93% quartz and 7% resin is the amount used in Breton technology. When I spoke to another company which makes quartz in China, I was told that they use the Samsung method and that it is not heated to the high degree that the Breton technology uses. I chose not to purchase the quartz made in China. Can Quartz Master be used outdoors? Please note that outdoor use of our products is not covered by our Lifetime Warranty. Quartz Master’s products have not been tested under prolonged exposure to UV rays. Unfortunately, installing our products outdoors will render our Lifetime Warranty null and void.

rb-we may end up doing that very thing (alternating colors and mixing materials) but my thought was to go with a more tight or homogeneous perimeter like the black you posted and then something with a bit more pizzaz/movement/interest on the island. But like joaniepoanie I think that is personal preference. I also think that it possibly depends on your kitchen layout and where things are in the room and what you see most of when you are looking at the kitchen. For example with ours the outside wall has windows flanking the range, so when you look that way you will see island first and then likely the windows/range hood/backsplash so I don't want anything too busy on the perimeter making your eye go there. We also may just be mixing a quartz (or even laminate depending on budget) perimeter with a granite island. I think mlweaving might be doing quartz and granite as well. I know she has already chosen her tops so maybe she'll chime in. I think it would be pretty easy to find something to compliment the black you chose and I think certainly the specchio works if it works with your white. Have you visited any stone yards with your white cabinet sample? I like the bluish undertone in your choice though - I am partial to grays and blues as well.

It does not matter which quartz company you use, DuPont zodiac, cambria, sile stone , creaser stone, or han stone and otherâÂÂs The company that invented the process is an Italian company call Breton stone. They hold the patient on the process and everyone that makes a quartz product pays a royalty to Breton Stone. The only difference between these companies is color pallet, price and quality control. By quality control I do not mean durability of the product they are all the same I mean color consistency. Cambria has the best color pallet in the industry but their color match from lot to lot even from one end of the sheet to the other has seen problems. Han Stone has one of the best color match reputations in the business. DuPont, Sile Stone, creaser Stone also have decedent color match. I would not let the color match issue deter me from Cambria; the color match issue has more to do with the off fall (a fabricator trying to use waste material from one job to another). Hope this helps. Ps. On the resin pooling you can solve this by insisting to see the slabs before your fabricator cuts them. If there is an area that you do not want they can in most cases work around it if they canâÂÂt they can order another slab and return the one you do not like. I know this requires another trip to you fabricator but with the amount of money these thing cost well worth it. DuPont says if the blemish (resin pool) can be covered with a 50 cent piece it is not a defect (most use this same standard) This post was edited by psu6301 on Tue, Dec 30, 14 at 11:48

Another vote for quartzite here. Where we live, quartzite and marble are roughly the same price (marble being slightly more expensive). We lived with marble before and while I loved the look, I did not love the performance- the etching staining, chipping... we are very heavy cooks and entertain often and I couldn't stand the thought of chasing people around with coasters. We've been living with white macauba quartzite for 7 months now and I love it- it doesn't stain, etch, or chip and seems VERY hard and not at all prone to flaking. We actually have it as all of our bathroom counters as well (same slabs.) I also love that I can put a hot pan on it without worry- I beat the heck out of those counters and they look brand new. I know you said you're not interested due to "flaking" and cost, but I'd have a look if I were you!