I got mine in Portland OR from Pental, who rebranded it Pentalquartz (originally Chroma when I bought mine two years ago). They are a Seattle company, but they are distributing it through other granite companies. A place in NJ sells it.

EUROPEAN GRANITE & MARBLE
European Granite & Marble
24 Forge Street
Jamesberg, NJ 08831

732.605.7800
732.605.7804

It's made in Vietnam, unless they switched production to Korea recently.

This post was edited by may_flowers on Wed, Jan 22, 14 at 10:25

Thanks so much, May_
flowers!

Mayflowers! So grateful you posted about Pentalquartz! Not only is there a European Marble in Jersey but several others in NYC and Long Island. I called the one closest to me and they have huge slabs on site to take a look at. Heading over there tomorrow. Are you happy with your Pentalquartz counters? Looking specifically at the Calacatta quartz.

Hi nadianyc,

Like may_flowers we bought our Vicostone quartz from Pentalgranite in Portland OR. They have a warehouse where we could pick out your own slab. We chose "Tobacco" BQ9420. We have also seen it listed as "Bianco Romano" with the same id numbers. not sure why. We wanted something that would have the look of natural stone and be marble like. Our kitchen cabinets are white shaker style, with a white subway tile backspash.

We initially got a little resistance in our request to pick out our own slab. They said that since this a man made product, the pattern is very similar from slab to slab. We disagreed and insisted that there IS variation from slab to slab. The agreed to let us pick our own.

Some of the slabs of "Tobacco" had a lot of garnet speckling throughout, which we didn't particularly like. So they accommodated us by showing us 3 - 4 slabs. Quite a job since they had to move them around so we could see them. We chose one that we both liked and they tagged it for us.

Then our fabricators came and picked up the slab and took it to their facility. They sent a young man to do the counter template. We then went to the fabricators to lay out the template, which was not so utterly unusual on a quartz slab. We were assured that our template layout was the way it would be cut. My DH and I like to take pictures of the process and we did so of our template layout on the slab. One week later they arrived to install the cut slab. They installed it beautifully and took care in doing so, walking us though the process, which was very interesting, especially the seam.

When they left we started looking more closely to our counter and deduced that our layout had not been followed. Some of the landmark designs were not in the positions matching our photos. We told our contractor and he contacted the fabricator. Yes indeed, they agreed that it was a different layout. They pursued it and found out that the guy who cut it laid it out the way HE wanted! They were shocked! He got chewed out and the fabricators appologized profusely and said that they were prepared to come out and rip out the counters and we could pick another slab and start over! We pondered our options and decided that we would be dramatically delaying the kitchen remodel even further and risking damage to our custom built cabinets, so we decided to keep them as is and request a monetary compensation for the mistake. They agreed.

We know that it isn't the layout we originally requested, but most of the landmarks designs ARE in our counters, just not in the positions we wanted them. We love the counters anyway and have gotten many, many compliments on them. Most everyone thinks they are natural stone. They are truly beautiful! There are some areas that remind us of agates from the Oregon Coast, which we love.

We haven't had any problems so far and they are holding up well. I hope that they will continue to be beautiful and low maintenance. Like may_flowers said, they are created with Breton Technology like all the other name brand quartz.

They were much more affordable than other brand names we looked at. If I recall the original bid was approx $2,550.00 for 36.5 sf.

They have some very pretty choices. Carrara, Venatino and your Calcutta are beautiful patterns. Definitely go see the slabs and pick out the one you want and follow it all the way through! :)

P.S. I will post a picture to follow of our slab we chose at the warehouse.

Our Vicostone "tobacco" slab at the Pentalquartz warehouse.

We went to the Portland warehouse too and they grumbled about moving the slabs.

I have been looking for quartz that resembles carrera or calacatta marble. I ran across Vicostone online and found wonderful quartzes on their site! I'm drooling!

Their website is truly unhelpful for finding a local distirbutor, so I did a Google search and found that Triton Stone, which is a primary distributor here in the southeast US, has apparently just started carrying it this month. Yay! I will be asking local fabricators about it and going soon to the local Triton warehouse. I really want to see it in person. The pictures online look like their natural stone type patterns are more natural than the others I've seen, but I want to see them in real life.

" It's manufactured with Breton technology, which Caesarstone invented."

Bretonstone was mixing quartz into slabs a decade before Caesarstone was even incorporated:

Here is a link that might be useful: History

Does anyone have the quality specifications comparing Vicostone and a market leader like Cesarstone?

Why is it so much cheaper? They both use a machine from italy?

It cant simply be labor?

Why can they not charge a premium price? Is it to do with branding?

Yes, it is labor, Vietnamese labor. I actually like my Pentalquartz/Vicostone more than the Caesarstone first installed. The pattern is consistent whereas with the Caesarstone, there were areas of ugly white resin smudges instead of squiggly veining. Caesarstone had a slightly more shiny polish than Vicostone, but you only notice that in an area that's backlit from a window or chandelier.

I've been really happy with my Pentalquartz counter. It's been in almost four years. I still have a faint 5 gallon can mark beside my sink and I now believe the Bozo fabricators that ruined my Caesarstone left a can of acetone on the counter during fabrication. But no chipping. I did use a little Bon Ami on my seam and slightly dulled it, but that's only noticeable in certain light. I can not stress enough to never use an abrasive on your quartz.

Labor is very cheap in Vietnam so that would make sense. I thought they might of been using inferior raw materials to cut costs, but so far I have not read many negative reviews of the brand.

Anyone any experience in Chinese or Indian manufactured quartz? I know 10 years ago it was a big no, any change?

Thank you for the tips, its an expensive purchase so got to do my research.

This thread was very helpful. I have chosen a vicostone quartz for my island the color is Venatino. It is the only quartz I have seen that look similar to real marble, and the whiteness of the stone is what really got me. Silestone and Caeserstone seem to have a grey background or material for their marble look - which kind of reminds me of sponge painted look.

Interestingly enough, they are charging similar to the price of Caeserstone at $95/sf this is down from the original quote of $112/sf after some negotiation and because of the large amount of quartz needed for our kitchen (140 SF)

I too am worried because there is not much about Vicostone out there. This is an expensive undertaking and the fabricator tells me there is only a limited warranty (nothing like Silestone which he says has the best warranty) I'm nervous but that stone is too beautiful to resist.

I too am looking at Vicostone - at a local counter place (southern Ontario) this is the only black leathered (matt) that they carry . The colour is Pure Black. Anyone had any experience with their leathered quartz?

I found a pattern that I liked but I am leaning toward Silestone due to their track record ... I already have it in two bathrooms. I am concerned about the quality of the product and origin. The website, dealer list and information on houzz is lacking. If a firm is going to enter the lucrative US market you need to have your marketing tools ready in your tool box. I am looking for feedback to completely convince me to avoid this productI must withstand a lot of abuse and hold up --- not ready to risk 4K and not know what I am getting.

Vicostone uses technology licensed by Breton. It is the same product as Silestone. When I bought mine five years ago, it was only available in Dallas, their US distributor, and through Pental in Portland and Seattle, who named their product Pentalquartz. Now they are distributing it nationwide. Some fabricators may have renamed it after their company like Pental did.

A kitchen counter does take more abuse than a bathroom counter. I always use a hot pad and avoid banging heavy pans like cast iron in the sink. Never clean with abrasive sponges or cleansers. And read the warranty!

Heather Allan - I am visiting the Vicostone showroom in Vaughan tomorrow morning. If you have any specific questions you want asked, I don't mind asking them. Not sure where in Ontario you are but fyi their showroom is open to the public Monday to Friday 9-5 and Saturdays 9-noon.

I've had Vicostone in my bathroom now for 2 months and I'm really disappointed. The tub deck has a haze to it and there are 3 circles that I have not been able to get out. There are also some small holes and a two scratches in the finish. I went to their showroom and they gave me a cleaner which I used and it left a mark where I used it. I called the Vicostone dealer several time and they are giving me the run around. They even went so far not to take my calls. They tell me my fabricator has to talk to them. Any one else having problems and any suggestions of what to do?

How large are the circles? They may be vacuum cup marks made by the fabricator.

They may be etches left from the fabricator leaving a can of acetone on it while fabricating it. It happened to me.

The holes and scratches were probably something the fabricator or another worker did. The haze could be scratches caused by the fabricator trying to polish it. Does the fabricator work for the dealer? Why haven't you talked to the fabricator about your concerns? What cleaning product did the dealer give you?

The fabricator came out and said that he could try to polish the circles out and the other small scratches but since quartz is man made he could make no guarantee that it would look better. He said it could look worse so we said don't touch. I used a granite, marble, quartz cleaner, polish on it and it is better. My husband says I'm the only one who would look closely to see the scratch and circles. The fabricator does not work for the dealer and he seemed to think the scratch was from the plumber putting the tub in. I guess we live with it. I would not recommend Vicostone (dealer Dallas, TX) because of their refusal to talk to me. The fabricator said that too often the quartz dealers promise warranties but then good luck on getting them to cover anything. The worker that came out to fix my counter-top has been working for fabricators for 15 years and he says he can fix anything on granite but not so much on quartz...so buyer beware.

It's true you can't fix scratches on quartz. It can be buffed but you have to buff the entire top and even then you'll lose a little of the sheen.

Did you have a GC? We had an upstairs washer overflow and needed a new ceiling and the drywall guys scratched our stainless chimney hood. Of course no one saw him do it but the GC charged him anyway and replaced our hood. If they want more jobs through him, a few hundred dollars wasn't worth quibbling over.

Really, this isn't Vicostone's responsibility and it doesn't appear to me to be a warranty issue. Someone caused the scratches, the holes, and the haze. It didn't leave their factory like that. Very few things can etch quartz, acetone during fabrication being one of them. Your fabricator may be relieved that you're blaming Vicostone and not him.

Omg. I wish I had seen these comments before I bought Vico Stone arabescato quartz we just renovated our kitchen and soon after getting the slab we noticed these awful rings that leave marks and won’t go away. The company who sold me the Slab is ignoring me the installer sAys it was someone else who did it which it was not and everyone else is giving me the run around. I have quartz all over my house that I’ve never had problems with this is so sad never get Vico stone!!!!’ They won’t adhere to the warranty and they don’t help! The quartz is inferior product

On June 2 2016 Canuck Designs an authorized company for Vicostone installed three slabs of Quartz tops Vicostone BQ100 on top of my existing cabinets of 24 years with a 15 year Vicostone warranty. On December 19 2020. I noticed a hair line crack that started in the middle of the countertop. I contacted Vicostone Calgary and told them the problem. They told me they would send a representative to look at the Hairline Crack. On January 13 2021. The company rep showed up. After serval days the company said, nothing would be done since my cabinets shifted and caused the problem. He also said my Installer should have told me to reinforce the cabinets. On a closer look, the crack happen above the lazy Suzie. That area has a solid top and attached with a support pole in the middle. It is the most’d supported area of the entire cabinets. I went one step further and talked to another authorized dealer for Vicostone. It looks like an issue with the stone itself says the authorized dealer. I also had a conversation with another authorized Dealer for Vicostone (They said, if there was a shift in the cabinets, the crack would start on the weakest point, in my case the ninety degree corner edge or the outside wall edge. I told them that the crack started in the middle of the slab and over a period of a month, it worked its way to the inside corner. (I have pictures before it moved to the corner) I was told more than once, if the weakest point was the middle of the slab, then it is an issue with the stone itself) I had a meeting with the company owner. As I tried to present the evidence. He ask me for my bill of sale from him. I said I handed the proof of purchase from Canack Designs to your rep. I don’t have a bill of sale from him since I bought from Canuck Designs, Canuck Designs bought from Vicostone.Canuck designs do not exist since the owner retired. I have pictures with a level, Cabinets have not shifted and perfectly level. Vicostone will not honor any warranty (Buyer Beware)