you mean those gold veins used to be "smooth" without any feathering of the color??...wow, if so that's so weird.

Absolutely…I am completely gobsmacked today (after all of our other problems with these fabricators)… it's very strange because even though it's supposed to be 'sealed 3 times' when you run your hand along the polished stone you can feel rough bits where it looks like some of the veining isn't sealed? I didn't raise it as an issue at the time because we had so many other issues with the situation (it is very subtle the feeling when you run your hand over it but it is there nonetheless) - there was absolutely NO feathering upon installation… they were sharp lines

and some of the 'gold' type veining now looks redder ???

and our fabricators have not been returning calls since 'installation'

are those photos of the same section of the slab - at installation and now? if so, the difference is amazing. i don't have any idea what happened or why, but wow...that would be crazy. i'm so sorry!!

p.s. - we have quartzite that also has very dark distinctive veining - i specifically selected slabs that had a lot of veins b/c I loved the color and movement. some of the veins do have a bit of a rough appearance and i know they were epoxied at the stoneyard. i spoke to my fabricator about it and he told me that this was normal and it will always have a slightly different appearance than the rest of the stone in those areas. but if i wanted the movement and deep veins, i had to be ok with the epoxy in a few spots. basically like I had to give to get, so to speak. but i haven't noticed anything bleeding or changing...

Without seeing how they looked before, I have to say that I love the way they look now. I know that isn't what you were asking for, but the counter is beautiful.

Thanks Imgch - what do you mean by epoxy in a few spots? We love the veining and movement too which is why we chose the stone - it was completely different when installed and I wish I took photos now (big mistake)…the veining for us had no rough appearance before - they were very clear and crisp

The photos I both took today but for some reason I had trouble uploading both photos - so the smaller photo its difficult to see the detail but it's pretty much the same as the first photo… when we had it installed the veining were perfect lines - so crisp and linear

I tried to snap some images, but it's hard to get to show up

basically, using the overhead lights as a guide, where you see the marks that blot out the light, that actually is a very, very lightly textured line. it follows the line of the veining and when I asked my KD and my fabricator about it, they both told me it was an epoxy. It appears in just a few spots on the slab I selected for the island, where the veining is heaviest/darkest. They assured me it will have no impact on stone durability. my fabricator told me this is the hardest stone he's cut in a very, very long time - it dulled many of his blades and he doesn't think i need to bother to seal it going forward. but i will anyway ;)

i will try to see if i can get better pictures with natural light tomorrow. hope this helps

I suspect the dark veins contain iron, once wet, the iron turns to rust that bleeds into the surrounding area. This is pretty common in marbles, but I don't think it's to be expected with quartzite.

Pippin:

The orange is oxidizing iron in the stone. It is bleeding rust and will continue to do so if it feels like it. Or not. You've purchased natural stone and gotten exactly that. Where nature has failed, man has applied epoxy. It's part of the deal you signed.

Stone saw blades don't "dull", they are designed to wear away. The blade tips have a matrix in which diamonds are suspended. The harder the stone, the softer the matrix so it exposes more diamonds more quickly. Softer stones use blades with a harder matrix because fewer diamonds are required.

Thanks Joseph… I understand I have a natural stone and have had granite in my kitchen a few times before with no issue…can you tell me more about the 'epoxy' as I don't really understand - are you saying that the raw parts of the countertop I can feel under my fingers are usually applied with epoxy to stop the changes that I am now encountering? (it is polished but much of the veining doesn't look like it has been sealed if that makes sense?) Thanks for your advice

pippabean how can the changes occur due to being 'wet' since the stone was sealed with 3 layers of sealer in the shop? I really don't understand how this happens if it has been sealed? Joseph?

Is it possible that the "gold" veining with the bleeding was always in the stone and you just didn't see it because the slab was so large? It's impossible to see every little details in a slab in the stoneyard. When you get it home and it's cut into smaller sections, you become aware of every single vein and flaw (although I wouldn't really call this a flaw since it's a natural product) .

I wish that was the case jerzeegirl… this is a week after installation and because of the problems with the fabricators and installation I looked this over in detail…it has definitely changed over the week - and mostly in the last 24 hrs :(

If the veining looks like it hasn't been sealed, it may be because the veins are filled with epoxy. The epoxy may not be polishing the same as the stone. I felt many stones on display at Coverings and was surprised at how much could be felt. I'm not sure you have a problem.

Sealers aren't surface layers that smooth out stone. Sealers merely inhibit penetrtion into the stone from liquids. It doesn't make the stone waterproof if it's porous, and it doesn't stop rust forming from the iron inclusions, which is Evidently is the material of which the vein is composed. Iron rusts. You've got Mother Nature in action right in your kitchen, which is pretty darn cool!

Sounds like this is part of a much larger problem.

When will the other 1/2 of the countertops be installed? If installers are not returning calls....is another installer going to complete the job? Maybe he/she could give you some suggestions on the existing countertop?

Karin mt when you say some kind of surface treatment do you mean by the fabricators when they polished and sealed the slab or do you mean by me cleaning it? I have only used ph balanced cleaner and then not that much - mostly just water with a cloth

Yes Pippin, I mean the fabricators. I don't think anything as mild as your cleaner would do the trick. I'm thinking more like a solvent or a strong acid.

Beautiful stone-I agree just intrusions of ferrous minerals that have oxidized.

I agree with Sophie sealers temporarily inhibit the intrusion of staining agents into the surface of the stone. Impregnating sealers live below the surface of the stone which is what makes them work. Topical sealer live on the surface of the stone and are considered a coating. Coatings require maintenance and aren't generally specified for application on natural stone countertops.

There is a misconception about impregnator sealers and its performance.

It wont hold stone together, it wont change the feel and it wont make it look any different.

Your fabricator should know about this material and should be informing you of its character, its porosity and its care. He should know if the stone is resined as well. I don't think it is or else it would feel very smooth and look like a sheet of glass on angle.

The resin or epoxy that is used would cover any pitting and fissures on the surface.

There is a grading system regarding the quality of stone slabs which should be made known to the consumer.

Something you can do is test the porosity of your stone.

Just puddle up a palm sized puddle of water let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes and then wipe it away. If a dark mark is there you know the stone is porous and should be sealed.

I don't think you will have to worry much about porosity and staining .

Using acid my not be a good idea as it may erode the ferrous minerals in the veins. That may make the surface feel featured. If your fabricator isn't serving you it may be a good idea to call in a bone fide stone refinisher. He or She will get you some answers and see if there is something that can be done to make the surface feel a bit smoother. Based on your location I may be able to recommend one should you need that.

Stoneshine based on what you have said an impregnating sealer may have gone in the stone and caused this situation with the oxidisation? I think they used an impregnating sealer - bulletproof?

Ps we put a puddle of vinegar on the sample piece and it stayed in a puddle till the next day when we wiped it off with no etching at all

Pippin,

No absolutely not did a sealer in this case cause the oxidation .

I think Karen would agree the stone came out of the ground that way.

There are many stones that I have seen with this type of veining-they are usually called honey veins(easy to market)

I think overall you have an acid resistant, very dense stone that will serve you well over many years with little maintenance.

Sure the fabricator said he sealed it with three coats of DuPont bulletproof.

Great name for a sealer-all marketing!

So its possible that your stone is just super dense-If you want, see if you can get a sample unsealed piece and test it with the vinegar.

I have a feeling you will get the same results.

I could go on from here for a while but don't want to put anyone to sleep.

Do the test and a little research and you will see that sealers while needed in cases of porous stones are a lot less important when it comes to denser stones.The sealing companies will tell you to seal all stones.

They wont tell you their only performance is to temporarily inhibit the intrusion of staining agents. Bulletproof is a perfect example of good marketing.

They wont tell you about the water test however.

We live in a place where everything we buy needs another bought product to protect it.

Enjoy your stone!

We have damaged white macabaus. From the time of putting down a deposit, to install day, the slabs sat out in the rain. I noticed that they acquired alot of iron staining around the edges. It was orange/brown. It was def from being left outside. The pics I took a year prior did not show these stains. They assured me they would 'cut off' the stained edges. They did, and you could not see the staining once installed. However, if I had not seen the stone prior to staining, I might have thought it was natural as there are parts of the stone that are iron in color(a few iron colored veins). However...once installed, the stone began to develop dark water or oil looking stains along all of the edges, and the stain began to creep over time. From what I gather, they applied a wax to the edges during fabrication, and the wax absorbed and continues to seep deeper into stone...it will not come out. ALL of this is to say that quartzite(atleast mine) is more porous than I had assumed, it easily sucks things up, but won't evaporate them back out...so with my experience with my stone, those veins may have sucked in something from its environment(or during fabrication along what karin says) and is now seeping... IMO it is going to continue to seep, so I would def try to get it resolved the best you can. It is still a beautiful stone! Good luck!

Heidi thanks so much for your input - not a great problem to have but I definitely feel less crazy hearing from you about your experience and that somebody else has similar issues… would you mind posting a photo for me to see yours? And what did your fabricator say? did they offer to fix it or replace?

I don't think it is wax-can you send some pictures. It is possible and it sounds like you may have a silicone issue. Macabaus can have some porosity. Have you gotten any help .

Does this look like the staining you have on your stone?

Stoneshine, Yes, that is how it looks, and it creeps. So far, nothing has been able to remove it. That stone pictured-was it salvageable? If it is silicone how do you remove? We have tried every poultice there is. :(

Pippin, it started off as a very narrow line on edges- barely 1/8 of an inch. It was dark, like water or oil. And then it went from 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 2+ inches...it creeps. So, for your stain, I would def mark where it is now, and then take a photo as it creeps further, to show it is something that is happening post-fabrication, i.e., may not be part of the natural stone process...that may help with remedying the situation. My farbricator's came out and said it was the weirdest thing that they ever saw. They assured me it was nothing they did during fabrication, and told me it must be some type of natural reaction of this stone. I found that odd seeing as it only happened on the edges. Every edge too. Anyhow, they offered to replace it, but then *poof* they disappeared. No-showed 4x, I called them maybe 15x, and they always had a great excuse as to why they could not come out, and that is only when I could get them on the phone. Sadly, the delay has most likely taken us outside the statute of limitations for a lawsuit(and I highly suspect that was their goal in delaying, so be careful with that and learn from me-get it resolved asap). Our original fabricator, and then two independent granite fabricators, sadly told us that there was nothing they could do, so we have chosen to just move forward with another stone, at another fabricator.

After my experience, I think Quartzite is more porous and more sensitive to certain chemicals than the granites that most fabricators are accustomed...

@lmgch: I really like your stone. What is the name of it, please.

We will be testing that stone hopefully soon-The general consensus is that it is impossible to remove. Some other refinishers we have spoke with have had some small successes with this type of stain. If it is silicone it would need to be removed-did you say it is on all your edges-

You are most welcome to call me to discuss-201-446-1200

Was there ever any resolution on the quartzite staining? We have Mont Blanc and have noticed a few random dark stains (in areas we don’t use) and are trying to figure out where it’s coming from and whether it will get worse

Hi, did you ever find out what caused the "seeping" of the orange/reddish stains in your quartzite? We have an issue with a counter top that was just installed and when we picked out the slab it was just white with grey veins and after it was installed there was a reddish/orange stain in one spot that looked like it was seeping from a vein. At first it just looked almost like a water spot with a slight orange tint but now after 2 weeks it's getting darker. Did yours get bigger or darker over time &/or was there anything that helped lighten it?

I just found this post. I have the same problem with our quartzite that we used in a shower. Has anyone found a resolution for this? I’m not happy at all.

I actually think it improved somewhat. Not sure how but it didn’t bug me as much over the years so I think part of it was the initial fabrication/and or sealing that did it.

Ramsey:

Yes, there is a solution. Rip it out and replace it. Your stone has natural iron deposits, they are rusting, and will continue to do so.

Well, if anyone is researching Taj Mahal Quartzite, I hope this helps. The picture I added was the shower seat and a remnant (some poor family has the bigger slab of this rusty stone). The rest of my shower is actually a tile from a different source- still Taj Mahal though. I’m hoping it holds up better than the slab.

I have selected this Brazilian Quartzite (called CRISTALITA WHITE) for my kitchen countertops...two book matched slabs. The slabs are being sent to the fabricator.

No one at the distributor was able to tell me what the coppery looking areas/veins are. I do like them a lot, but I am wondering if they are going to cause any problems down the road, based on what is in this thread. They are smooth to the touch areas - same as the light gray/white that surrounds them.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of stone - Brazilian quartzite with copper/iron veining?

A second question is that these slabs are currently polished, and I was leaning towards a honed finish. Initially, my fabricator told me that they hone all quartzites as a policy, based on their experiences and outcomes. But now he is saying that my slabs don't need to be honed - they should stay polished. I have used this fabricator before with excellent results, so I trust them, but I am looking for input from other professionals and remodelers regarding my specific type of quartzite slabs with the veining. Thanks.

Joseph C, are you still there? why did you say rip it out?

7 years ago you said, "The orange is oxidizing iron in the stone. It is bleeding rust and will continue to do so if it feels like it."

Is oxidizing iron a natural occurance in quartzite?

I am confursed.

Karen Harmon

"Is oxidizing iron a natural occurance in quartzite?"

Yes. Learn to decorate with orange or pick something else please.

. Quartzite Quartzite