Hi Motleydog,
I have leathered cambrian granite in my still unfinished kitchen....
It is mostly black and definitely reads as black as a whole but there are surely some lighter spots but in a uniform way, if that makes sense. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're wrong, the slab you looked at may somehow be a tad lighter or the leathering technique was done differently. I sealed mine without enhancer and it didn't change the color at all. Here's the closet thing to a close up that I have, see the bottom part of the pic. Hope this helps!
{{!gwi}}

Helps a lot. Thanks. The slab I was looking at is located in a warehouse with decent but not bright lights. Also, the leather finish is probably throwing me off compared to polished.

Your kitchen looks great with the marble island, backsplash, and white cabinets. Really perfect.

We were thinking of pairing it with another granite with black markings on the island, but that black doesn't really match with the cambrian. I am moving more towards using cambrian on both the perimeter and island and going with a golden quartzite/slate backsplash which contains golds, tans, and grays against cherry cabinets in cinnamon stain. Of course, tomorrow, we will probably change direction again. I'm partial to all cambrian because it will save us the expense of another slab that will be mostly wasted!

My Cambrian reads black, but there is a difference between it and a polished surface. The gloss adds a certain depth that you may be used to seeing. Mine is also paired with marble, but we pretty much needed 2 slabs any way we went about it and found one longer slab of marble so that it worked out well.

My Cambrian is on top of cherry cabinets and I think it looks great. Something to pick up on the ice crystals in the granite would be good for your splash. I would be cautious about not having everything dark (the slate sounds like it could be dark), and make sure your lighting is good. But you will love the Cambrian.

rookie 2010 and lascatx:

Did you consider any white granites before settling on the marble? Not sure we would go for marble, but would consider a white granite that would go well with the cambrian. Maybe Bianco Antico? The island will be the workhorse of the kitchen and I envision our marble getting stained and scratched up too much. We put a limestone slab in the bathroom 2 years ago, and while it still looks great, it does have a few rings from cans being placed on it and some minor pitting.

We won't commit to the backsplash until the granite goes in, and that can't happen until we commit to the granite, which cannot happen until we really kick off the remodel.

I actually did consider a white granite but couldn't find one that I loved as much as the marble. I also didn't want a polished countertop and heard that honed granite is just as sensitive as marble. I had the same thought as you, that the island would be the workhorse so my original plan was to have a wood or butcher block top on it and marble on the perimeter. My husband begged me to just use the marble on the island and made me promise to pay for it when A. I need to have it re-honed or B. I see things his way and replace it with butcher block someday.
I really don't think there's anything that wouldn't look good with the black cambrian as it is not busy at all. It's a nice anchor if you plan on doing something busier on the island. Sounds like your kitchen is going to be so nice! I wish I had known about this site BEFORE I began :)

I certainly considered white granites and other white surfaces too -- just not tile (I've had it, don't like the guk that settles in the grout spaces and wanted a solid surface for working with doughs, etc) or Corian (my mom had white Corian in one house and the stains and issues with that were worse than marble).

I couldn't find any white granites that weren't too busy or didn't have too much of the wrong colors. I found one when we considered a grey with blue inclusions -- but that stained terribly even after one or two coats of sealer.

DH and I both decided that what we wanted was that well-used and possibly somewhat worn look of a honed marble -- something that looked like it could be in an old bakery or ice cream parlor. We didn't settle -- it was what we had to have for the look and feel we wanted for our kitchen and to keep the feel we wanted for our home (it isn't an old home, but it has some of that feel and character, which is one of the things we love about it).

I never really liked most granites in most kitchens. The shiny polished look was not something either of us wanted, and while we loved some of the woods we looked at, for us, butcher block was more of a headache than marble. I'd have a harder time not having the wood look great or having something called butcher block that wasn't a working surface than I ever would with an etched spot or ring on the marble.

We have the marble on the perimeter and Cambrian on the island. The Cambrian is as close to bullet proof as I think a stone can be. It was so dense that the guy at the yard had a hard time breaking off a chip for us. I do have a chip on the edge though -- my son dropped a heavy trombone mouthpiece right on the edge, but nothing short of that or a hammer is likely to cause it any concern. Having it on the island means we can do a lot of prep there (tell my son to work there -- LOL) and not be concerned about the marble -- but so many things I thought could stain it have not. We saw the Cambrian slab and the texture intrigued us, plus we loved how it was calm but had subtle bits of interest and color with the "ice crystals" in it. I do agree that it pairs well with so many other stones or surfaces. Probably the only thing I would not pair it with would be another black stone, and that not because it would clash but more out of a concern that it would look like a mistake, afterthought or that we ran out of the right stuff if you know what I mean. It could be done, but would need some care in the planning and execution.

lascatx: I am considering doing something similar with my kitchen as you have described. Would you mind posting pictures? THanks!

Where did you find the Cambian black antique leather granite??? Not seeing it at the sites here in Austin, TX.
Thanks!