I had chosen TajMahal quartzite but unfortunately when they were loading on truck it wad damaged. For edging do not do straight edge especialky if it is the thinner slab as you will see the material they use to put two pieces together. ogee with under offset. there are guides on internet. In the end I chose Perla Venato which is quartzite and so very similar to Taj Mahal in colour. I am so glad of my choice. This slab was thicker so just a straight edge. simple but timeless. Make sure your fabricator is goid with quartize as it is a harder stone to work with. Go there and talk to them. Go view the slab before delivery and check it. Do a final hand sweep especially along the edges before they glue it down. My only regret is that we did not use same stone as backsplash. Will use quarzite over granite again in future.

Do you have paperwork from your order for the counter tops? Since there is both a quartzite (natural stone) and a quartz (manufactured product) named Taj Mahal, it appears that is this is not what you thought you were ordering. When you say that you didn't pick your stone, and that it was fabricated, it seems that you got the quartz, not the quartzite that you may have seen photos of online. Here is a link that might be useful: image of Pental Quartz Taj Mahal

Hi Evan Man, We haven't any issues with food getting lodged into the crevices of the leathered surface of our TM. The counter tops are quite smooth an shiny despite the leathering. We do have some larger fissures that are actually filled with resin to minimize the depth and prevent food from getting down into them without detracting from the natural beauty of the stone. If I can figure out how to post pictures I try to take a few.... We really like the leathered look and feel but I'm sure I would love the polished as well! Cheers Gusman

I recently installed Taj Mahal (and love it) after 23 years with verde butterfly granite (a dark green/black). That granite was never sealed and I placed hot pans on it all the time. Never used protection. Now there may have been thermal damage I couldn't see but the stuff was bullet-proof. When I started researching for the remodel, I knew I did not want quartz and did not find a granite that sang to me but then discovered Taj. What I have read over and over is every countertop should be protected from prolonged heat though quartz may be less forgiving than stone due to the resins. I think my Taj would be fine with a few minutes of heat on it - maybe longer - but it's a big investment so I am training myself and DH to use trivets and range kleen pads. So the answer to your question from the stone experts would be nothing is completely heat resistance but my 23 year old granite seemed to be! I went with what I love to see every day this time and luckily I don't have to worry about etching and staining, just too much heat.