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For those with dark granite...Emerald Pearl, Uba Tuba, etc..

15 years ago

What color do you have and how is the upkeep? Does it look dusty, show everything, etc..? I like a clean contemporary look and always assumed I'd go with dark granite with light to medium toned cabinets, but I also like very easy maintenance and don't want to feel like I have to wipe the counters everyday for them to look nice. I live in the desert so we have dryness and dust.

On the other end of the spectrum, I'm considering Delicatus which is light and airy, has lots of movement and also seems contemporary. It'd be a totally different look. I have to decide ASAP.

Any photos would be appreciated!

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Comments (7)

justmeinsd
15 years ago
I had one similar to Emerald Pearl in our last house. Sorry I don't have any pictures. It looked fantastic but you are correct in worrying about dust, etc. It was the first counter I ever had to dust and will never again get a black counter.
susan4664
15 years ago
I have Peacock Green, which has similar colors to Uba Tuba, but with a larger pattern. It is predominantly dark green, with bursts of blue,as well as black flecks and gold veining.

I love the dramatic look, and it does hide crumbs, however, fingerprints are another story. It shows every fingerprint and streaks when it is wiped. If this will bother you, then steer clear from the darker shiny granites.

I use a microfiber cloth to keep it streak free and to shine it up. I also use granite polish for special occasions, which makes it glisten like a mirror. Its not often you see such glass-like shine with the lighter granite colors.

In this first picture, the two round yellow circles are reflections of the recessed lights above.
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I think lab created colored stones come nearer the mark as an analogy rather than diamonds. Weissman, if the customer paid 1K for an "emerald" ring and was happy, rather than paying 6K for a "mined" emerald, what's the difference? Yes, the origin, but if the customer is happy, the customer is happy! Now, if they paid 6K for a "mined emerald" ring that turned out to be a 1K lab creation, that's another matter. That's fraud. But, if it was just specified as an "emerald", then it's a grey area that you could argue that the customer got full value for the $$ purchased. After all, "everyone" knows that you can't buy a 5karat "emerald" rink for 1K unless it's lab created. But, if you got a great price on "granite" and you like it, what's the difference what it's called as long as it performs to your satisfaction and you like it? Stone people make up names all the time. Unfortunately, there is no "national registry" for granite names. You can call Blue Pearl "Crystal Azure Pearl" if you want, and you can call Uba Tuba "Black Pearl" also if you're into renaming. Renaming is done all the time. Pricing is all over the map on granite too. Granite yards charge what they think the market can support, based on both supply and demand and attractiveness of the slab. This isn't unethical. It's capitalism. Unfortunately, when you combine the two practices, renaming the granite and no real "set" charges, you have something that can skate periolously close to unethical behavior. And, you have a lot of grey area open to interpretation. Clearly, a dyed slab constitutes fraud. Other than that, it's open to interpretation. It helps to deal only with those in the stone business that have been there a while and have a good reputation. You don't see most of them ever renaming granite. Or dying granite. But, you do see a lot of the "I'm buying a container load of blanks from China and a van with some tools & becoming a fabricator" style "granite guys" that are incompentent and/or deceptive. Often, if the price is too good, then there is something fishy here. If you paid $39 a square foot for "Black Pearl", then something is rotten in Dennmark, and it's caveat emptor!
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Janice, you're kitchen doesn't look dark at all, even with the dark backsplash and dark paint. Thanks. Plllog, I see what you are saying about competing with the fruit bowl. Here are 3 backsplash ideas, tell me which is best: The first idea is to use the monochromatic matte white fruit bowl large decorative tile with matching monochromatic matte white frame, then the rest of the backsplash with glossy white field tile with slightly darker than normal grout to make the grout lines stand out. The second idea is to use the monochromatic matte white fruit bowl large decorative tile with either matching monochromatic matte white frame or marble frame with grey veins. Then the rest of the backsplash with marble tile with grey veins and grout lines that would match color of the marble and disappear. A third idea is to have the rest of the kitchen in either glossy white field tile with slightly darker than normal grout or marble with grey veins and matching grout lines that disappear. Then in the area under the hood bounded by the windows have the monochromatic matte white fruit bowl large decorative tile surrounded by black tile taking up the rest of the space to add high contrast (such as tantrum 1 inch or black marble or black granite field tiles). (There is barely enough room for a 1 inch pencil or a 1 inch field tile like tantrum between a 1 inch frame and decorative fruit bowl and that would bring it to the 30" boundary line exactly with the tiniest of grout lines. I could also use a smaller fruit bowl decorative tile and have a larger space around it to work with. I am not sure what color or material would enhance the design or if the design is better with or without a pencil in between.)
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sorry to say i am not a fan of any of those granites, but if i had to pick one, i would pick the one without any red specks or red/pink/peach/gray undertones. i would get the one that read "earthy" the most...browns, creams, gold and some black, but not gray. i would do everything i could to go and pick out my own slab b/c i wouldn't want to be disappointed when it came to be installed. you are going to have a pre-conceived notion of what its going to look like and if it doesn't, you are not going to be happy. i know that's how i would feel. maybe if you don't need a full slab, you can use a remnant and it might fall into your budget..try anything to pick it out yourself, you will be much happier.. HTH :)
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Buehl
15 years ago
We have polished Absolute Black (Premium). It does look wonderful but it also does show dust after a couple of days. Our family uses most of the counterspace every day, though, so our counters get wiped off daily...so it's no problem for us as we don't get enough dust accumulation to show in one day!

If you have a lot of dust accumulation daily and don't wipe the counters down daily, then you may want to consider either a honed/leathered/antiqued dark granite, go with something lighter, or get a granite w/a lot of variation/movement.

HTH!
cat_mom
15 years ago
We have Labrador Golden Flake and I never see any dust.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Susan-- That first pic of your countertop is pretty wild! It almost looks like a couple of Lincoln Head pennies were embedded in it!!
kemmc23
15 years ago
I have Uba Tuba with Medium Maple cabinets. While I love the look of a dark granite, I sort of wish now that I didn't get it because of the upkeep. I have a bar that is not used much, and the dust does develop on it. And the counters which I wipe up all the time streak and have fingerprints. I can't stand to see the streaks, and no one seems to use the Microfiber sheets to dry the counters off except me.
muscat
15 years ago
I have volga blue. Dust is not an issue because the kitchen is not that big, and the counters are used all the time, so there is nowhere that sits un attended for long. Streaks are a constant battle, but they vanish so fast with a micofiber that I really dont mind. And it is amazing the small smudges and drops of coffee, etc that dont show up till I'm looking for them!

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