Wishing I had some wisdom about the scratching and backsplash, but am excited to see your counters once installed. Tomorrow we're being templated - using Silestone Lyra on the island. It has swirls of grey/black against a translucent white. On perimeter cabs we're using zirconium. But I too wanted the feel of white but with something that might camouflage whatever damage I will inevitably do to a countertop billed as virtually destruction proof.

I'll keep my eyes open for your picture.

We are thinking of Cambira Oakhampton for the perimeter counters (white cabinets) and Cambria Newport for the island (espresso cabinets). The backsplashes we are considering are Daltile Milk Glass or Thassos marble. We just received our samples of the Cambria quartz, so we will see what kind of damage we can do to the Newport.

I love the look of pure white, but I think it is always smart to have a little pattern - it can hide a multitude of sins.
My DH is a GC and he installed white caeserstone in a high end beach condo. He hated it and had many problems with metal transfer. His biggest complaint had to do with belt buckles transferring to the edge of the counter when someone was working in the kitchen.
I would never have guessed that this would be a problem, but he had 44 units and he complained about it all the time.

I have the Cambria New Quay--Grey and white with a hint of khaki. Love it. Just installed about 2 weeks ago so nothing to report on scratches etc. yet. Did find DH standing on it last night while installing a light fixture over the island and almost had a heart attack.
Didn't see any marks from his shoes or tools.

Yes, the stuff really is very hard to ruin from what I have seen. I've been trying to stain it and cannot. Literally the only problem I see is the metal transfer. And I imagine if I drop something heavy it will chip so will be terribly careful with heavy objects. But that can be a problem with granite and marble, too. I feel fine about the quartz decision. It seems more appropriate for the contemporary look I want.

kfhl: I, too, would have never guessed that belt buckles would be the problem but it makes so much sense. Wow, I'm going to have to make DH banish his belt when in the kitchen, seriously.

Anyone have Cambria Buckingham?

Metal marks wipe right off of estone with acetone.

We're delighted to
hear you've chosen Cambria! You are correct – all of our products are proudly
made here in the US at our headquarters in southern Minnesota. Quartz is one of
the hardest materials on earth – a 7 on the Moh hardness scale and therefore are
extremely resistant to scratching and chipping.
Our Newport™ design is a wonderful choice for a light and bright kitchen. To
complement, we recommend a neutral-colored backsplash -- whites, greys, and even taupes would work
well here.Check out Ann Sacks Tile & Stone for a variety of stunning textures and
colors.

Did you know you can also use our quartz as a backsplash? Our bold Brittanicca
design would create an especially beautiful statement. In regards to selecting
a paint for your cabinets, we have partnered with Benjamin Moore to select
paint hues that are especially complementary with our countertop designs with our online paint match tool. Click here for a
selection of colors best suited for use with Newport, and navigate here for a
list of paint colors best suited for use with Brittanicca. Hope this helps with your design considerations.

Hi mack324,
If you’re looking for more information about our Buckingham design, we have
plenty of resources with our Design Palette page. There’s all sorts of
information surrounding our Buckingham design here, from Warranty information
to complementary Benjamin Moore paint colors, to available edge profiles and
building certifications. Please let us know if you have any specific questions
about this design that we can assist with, we’d be happy to help