Here are several views of my Silestone "Green River", which is a multi-colored green/black that reads black. [Please ignore the wallpaper border and swags in the lower photos; they're history.] I like the look of it, and I like that I don't have to think about it. This past weekend, I had a house guest, who gasped when I pulled out the 409 and a microfiber cloth to wipe a grease stain (he has a spectacular green granite in his kitchen, on which he'd never dare do the same). I like granite a lot as well, and have a beautiful verde butterfly countertop in my master bath, where I wanted the granite to be the focal point. In my kitchen, I wanted something with a regular pattern that wouldn't stand out as much.

As far as I know there are two things that affect the color of light quartz. One is a possible variation in raw materials. There is actual rock in there so there might be some variation. The other comes from the resin it's bound with. Resins tend to darken with time, and especially light exposure, most especially sunlight (UV?). That's why they don't recommend the light quartzes for outdoor use. You can ask for any kind of service you need to feel comfortable with your purchase. Some people will say no, some will charge a nuisance fee, and some will smile and say "sure!" Generally, you get the least service with the lowest price, but not always. Generally, the nicer and more understanding you are that what you're asking for is a nuisance, the more likely that people will cheerfully accommodate you. In other words, if you say, "I know it's a bit of a bother, but I'd really have to see the slabs before they come in so I can reassure myself that they do indeed look like my beautiful sample," you might meet a more cooperative response than if you say something accusatory like, "My samples don't look like the ones in the store and people are ripping out their new counters because of it, so it's not going in my house before I approve it." Both mean the same thing. :) BTW, lighting is vital Incandescent light, halogens and sunlight are very yellow. The fluorescents they typically have in stores tend to be on the blue side as well as at a higher color temperature. Fluorescent light is also much more diffuse, whereas incandescent is sharp. This could be the source of the difference you're seeing if you haven't put your samples right up to the stores'. Since this concerns you, definitely do see your slabs before they're cut, but also be aware of the light difference, and if possible see them outside or under a skylight. Natural light is what the human eye is meant to see in, so it's optimal for making this kind of assessment.

Following up with a few more details.. Counter edge is Eased 1.5 inch thick. Quartz thickness was 2cm. Fabricators built up the edge to 1.5 inches with mitred corners. The mitre cut hides the seam totally. In CA this is a standard process. 2cm Ceasarstone will not properly cover the 5/8 inch plywood rough top the cabinet maker installs. I almost went with an ogee edge since the house and kitchen is traditional style. But I thought it might be too busy for shaker. The eased edge works well with shaker style. I chose ogee for the bath vanity where the cabinets and crown are more detailed. It fits perfectly in the bath. Or if you have a center island ogee is a nice choice on the island with eased edge on the perimeter. Alot of people opt for that... The floor color is Natural Timber glazed chestnut. I used a dark brown grout but should have gone 1 darker to espresso or possibly black. The grout lines wound up lighter than the tile even though it looked like a good match before install. I went with 1/16th on the spacing, however the box recommends no closer than 1/8th. 1/8th grout lines are wide and the floor will look less like hardwood but I'm not sure if ignoring the directions will compromise my floor in any way down the road. I had the installer avoid "stair step" install method and tried to achieve random length install to mimic hardwood. Essentially when he got to a wall and had to cut a piece I had him start on the other side with the cut piece to achieve a random look. It worked for the most part but this process is tricky. It is better to be there the entire time they are installing so you can make the decisions. I much prefer real wood. The white oak with dark stain pictured all over houzz are the most beautiful kitchen floors but with a 3 yr old it doesn't seem practical, I think it would have gotten destroyed. The wood plank tile is a nice alternative and the cleanup is very easy. Alot of people have actually mistaken it for solid wood. The finish is a matte. Every crumb shows but I'm assuming this is the case with any dark brown floor. One of the keys is finding the tile that is 48 in long, this is the same size a lot of solid wood planks come in. The tile that is 24 in long leaves too many grout lines all over the floor and compromises the wood look. The long plank tiles create some issues with install though, it is wise to have someone who has installed these before. The 24 inch pieces are easier to install. This post was edited by LondonGray on Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 13:25

All are good choices. Find the right color/pattern rather than narrowing down to a brand first. Most man made quartz products are manufactured using the same patented process (some import brands may not be). All the brands seem to have a lot of choices but most of the time you will narrow down to 1 or 2 very quickly. Best to look at full size slabs of your final choices, even if that means you have to drive a few hours. Fortunately where I live there is a man made quartz specialty slab yard that keeps a few slabs of everything in stock. That way you can see how the color and pattern flow across the slab.