I have honed dark granite right now and it stains like crazy esp anything remotely oily. Tried everything to seal it and nothing worked. It was in the house when we bought it and we are now remodeling the kitchen and it it will be gone. Replacing with polished Sea Pearl quartzite if the quote is right (fingers crossed). It's been a process because this kitchen has extremely high end (previous owner installed) cabinets with a high gloss finish in teal blue - gorgeous but challenging and way to expensive to replace. Very sleek and modern. Thanks to the oven forum we chose the Miele Master Chef oven (wanted that rotisserie) and warming drawer and after reading on the Refrigerator Forum we chose the Thermador Freedom Towers for the fridge and freezer. LOL we inquired about getting panels for them to match the cabinets and yikes, the cost was more than the appliances cost. So stainless fronts it is. Everyone here is so helpful - certainly appreciate this site and the forums.

srahndennis - I chuckled a little when I read this, but certainly not at you ... it's because I was doing the same questioning of my choice (like I've done with so many other things in this kitchen reno =) I'm the opposite of you though - I originally wanted a deep brown sink because I have cream cabinets with a cafe dry brushing/light glaze and antique bronze handles. My granite is darker - has mostly deep browns, some black/creams/silver and slight splashes of dark coppery orange. But when I saw the Silgranit cafe in person, the brown didn't look rich enough for the browns in my granite (it actually looked like a dusty brown (it could have been that the sink was actually dusty instead though - lol) So I went with the anthracite since I have black in my granite too (and in parts of the ss appliances). With a colored sink, I'm of the thought that the sink looks best when it blends, rather than contrasts, with the counter (ss is an exception as it is so standard it always works). I think in our cases either one would work, but the cafe may work better for you since you have a lighter granite. It's hard to say without seeing it, but I think it may give you a softer flow than the black. And the appliances will then pull the slight blacks from your counter.

susan4664 - since my Verde Butterfly was just installed Monday (the majority of it), I have went over it with a fine tooth comb and also found a couple scratches that were from transporation (I assume) and then I've found some places that are fissures since it appears they have resign in them. Those places I can live with since they are more "natural". Since Fabs are coming back today to install remaining counter, I left a note asking if they buff out the one scratch that is really bothering me, I don't have a clue if they can or not? Couldn't hurt to ask .... it's right under the undercabinet light or I proably wouldn't have noticed it. busymom2006 gives good suggestion to get a sample from "your" slab. I got a sample from the same bundle, but not from my exact slab, since we were trying to save as much of the slab as possible, because we only needed one. I figured since it was from the same bundle, it was pretty close.

FWIW I had a situation sort of like yours. we agonized over slabs and finally picked what they called new venitian ice. They had 2 lots of them, one light and one dark. we picked the light one, as it was more cream vs yellow. there was some disagreement when we reserved them as to whether they were on hold or not, it was decided not, then the yard was swearing they were from the same lot. either or, we picked the slabs and I took pictures of the numbering on them. I asked to be there for templating the stone. when I got to the fabricators and the guys pulled out the stone, it looked yellowish. I checked numbers and the yard sent the wrong 2 slabs over. the fabricator and I went back to the yard and they still had my slabs. Some stern words from the fabricator to the yard and we're back to having the correct slabs. we templated at the yard and i took pictures of that. Either or when it came time to install, the counters looked darker than I thought. and I'm sitting there thinking... what if they used the wrong slabs etc etc... i pulled out my pics and I can recognize the patterns in my counter matched the template pictures exactly. It was different lighting. ours was very similar in color to light Santa Cecelia, in fact, we were between the two, and the difference was SC had striping vs our whch didn't. I guess my point is, in different light it can look different and still be right. Not saying they may have pulled a fast one, but it wouldn't surprise me if light turned to medium in different light. as long as it isn't that orange Santa Cecilia! no offense to those that like it, but I was looking for SC as an option and months ago i saw light SC then when it came time to decide the would direct us over to the current shipment which was black and orange, completely different animal.