Have you considered looking for a less expensive granite that complements the Blue Mediterranean? I would then put the Blue Mediterranean on the island (and maybe the eating overhang) and the less expensive one on the perimeter.

How about granite tile? Again, complementing the Blue Mediterranean. Granite tile is supposed to be much less expensive and the tiles can be placed so they have very small grout lines and staining and crumb collection are not an issue.

As to quartz, I'm not sure it's that much less than granite, and may even cost more in some parts of the country.

I think ceramic/porcelain tile, while definitely less expensive, can be a problem with grout staining and crumb collection (in grout lines).

HTH!

I'd love to see a pic of the Blue Mediterranean before offering any suggestions (please! drooling at the idea of another blue granite!). Generally and speaking as one whose blue granite is the focus of her kitchen, if all countertops in one material isn't an option, I would find a very plain & neutral, preferably real (IMO) material that wouldn't compete with the granite. Off the top of my head: black granite; soapstone; white marble/granite; non-stainless metals such as zinc; and my personal favorite, which is to cut out the baking center if you don't bake, make other design tweaks to save $, and make it yours by splurging on what you love....

It's not that I don't bake at all, Bluekit, it's that I don't bake often, and the house is too far along at this point to cut it out! I'll have tons of fun with the grandkids working there, will use it lots during holidays and celebrations and we do entertain a lot, and of course, maybe having such a bigger, nicer kitchen will inspire me to bake more! BUT I love the ideas posted here: using a less expensive granite that doesn't compete for attention with the blue. I'll give you a link to the Blue Mediterranean, but I'm warning you: this is a most awkward website and you have to work hard to find the granite. On the 'our products'page, click on slabs, and then when they start scrolling through, find #93. I've been to this stone yard and saw this granite in person, and it is beautiful. This granite is also sometimes called Mediterano or Blue Mediterano or something similar but I may be spelling that wrong. Bluekit, I'd love to know which blue granite you used, and would love to see pix of YOUR blue kitchen. I also love the idea of soapstone, but isn't it as expensive or more than all but the most pricey of granites???

Here is a link that might be useful: IMC Stone (http://www.imcstone.com/imc_our_products.html)

Momali3 . . . pant, pant, pant. That is absolutely gorgeous!! I share bluekitobsessed blue obsession . . . and every time I see another beautiful blue I covet it!!

Momali, that is drop dead gorgeous. It reminds me more of cloudswift's in that it's a tealish blue; mine is blue-gray with cobalt veins. Here's the TMI:
1. For synonyms or closely related granites, try looking at azul do mar (cloudswift's) and azul imperial. I'll also attach a link to my granite yard website (equally hard to navigate); go to "quartzite" to find an azul macaubas with strong green, gray, and blue lines. On the same website, check out Caribbean blue, which is very close to cloudswift's and, possibly, yours. You are definitely in the land of exotics, where sometimes yards just slap their own names on stuff....
2. ...and your slab will be priced accordingly. In Cal., we buy the slabs from a yard and separately hire a fabricator. I paid $40/sqft for mine. By comparison, the least expensive granites might be $10-15/sqft; the least expensive blue I ever found was $25/sqft, and the "you have to ask?" lapis and sodalite stones were $200/sqft. Prices varied wildly by both the yard and within the yard -- the "ugly" azul macaubas was $25/sqft and the "pretty" one, at the same yard, which came from the same quarry, was $115/sqft. It really pays to shop around. Fabrication might be $30-50/sqft more. YMMV.
3. Mine seems nearly indestructible so far -- no staining or etching from olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, bread dough. Geologically it's a quartzite.
4. I just posted pix yesterday of my 99% completed kitchen -- if it's not still on the 1st page, search for my name and "lotsa pix."
5. Colors for yours: because it has such a strong wavy pattern, maybe you do want to stay within the no-movement, just-speckles family. Black (absolut black granite is pretty inexpensive, I think; virginia mist and jet mist are soapstone-imitations), beige (yech! not my favorite! but it'll definitely recede), or if you're up for daring and different, copper (high maintenance) or zinc (not sure).
HTH.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marble Unlimited - exotic granites

I found it another place, after Googling at another site! See below. It is very like Azul Macaubus, too, which I also love, as well as Bross Blue on this same site below. What would you two lovers of blue think about using the Blue Mediterranean (or any of the gorgeous blues I might find locally) on the island with something like Virginia Mist on the perimeter counters? I've checked it out here on GW and it's very soapstone looking to me. Did I tell you soft white/cream cabinets (maybe SW linen), dark pecan/hickory floors with maybe walnut stain, and perhaps cream/biscuit/bisque/off white subway tile back splash? What walls I have would be SW Jersey Cream; either white or the linen trim. I know, I know, subway tile's been used so much, but I do love it, and it would pick up nicely the subtle white veining in the VA Mist. I don't know how expensive VA Mist is, but hopefully since it's a gray (though some might put it with the blacks) and I heard the grays were the most common, maybe maybe we could afford that. Would those work together? Maybe stain the island a shade lighter than the floors???

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.wingstone.it/materials-granite.htm