SHOP ANY WHERE ELSE. Marble.com is an awful place. And, getting your countertops is a really momentous and joyous occasion, don't let this company ruin the experience for you. They are neither fast nor cheap. First off, they are dishonest, they will give you one quote up front and another charge when you're stuck with them. Secondly, there is one representative in particular "Matt" who is unprofessional, incredibly aggressive, and has no sense of ethics. He is who you will deal with the moment the company messes up some aspect of your order or if you have a question. In our case, we went to their NJ location and looked at the marble slabs (they have a good selection of slabs, but so does any other quarry and you can always get your sample from here and take it to a reputable marble provider). We selected our stone, received a quote and agreed. The company sent over someone to measure our counter needs (who was professional). After we paid our deposit we were told that the stone we selected was actually in their "gold" line now and the price we were quoted was readjusted by an additional $4k. You can imagine how the situation progressed from there. In our case, "Matt" (who we were not initially working with) took over and advised that there was a telephone recorded conversation documenting our quoted price. When we asked for the audio file of this alleged conversation we were emailed a blank .wav file. When we asked to communicate with a supervisor or the staff member we had initially started this process with we were told by Matt, "No, you communicate with me, I am not putting you through to anyone else." This was not an experience unique to us. I wish I had read their reviews before ever engaging with this company. Moral of the story, trust all of the other homeowners who have made the mistake of working with Marble.com and save yourself the headache, especially on such a fun part of the dream kitchen journey.

Do you think our counters are 'Madre Perola' (attempting to post another photo -- looks like only one loaded)? I don't know enough about Madre Perola/Mother of Pearl, and can't tell much from the one photo. And even with better photos I don't think I would trust myself to ID a stone via a screen, it's just not my area of expertise. But it is karin_mt's. She's written a great series of posts on Countertop Geology that might be helpful, https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2499581/marble-quartzite-and-other-rocks-in-the-kitchen?n=158 https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2674142/countertop-geology-marble-and-quartzite-and-granite-part-4?n=4 https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2438427/countertop-geology-part-5-marble-quartzite-and-other-favorites?n=160 https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2692150/countertop-geology-part-six-lets-talk-about-rocks-some-more?n=578 https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4426353/the-definitive-guide-to-quartzite#n=59

If you’re looking for a domestically quarried marble on par with those quarried in Italy, look at Alabama White (a.k.a., Sylacauga) marble. These two images are from ABC Stone: “One of the most important characteristics of Alabama White marble is its strength,” said Jacob Swindal. “Even in a 2 cm slab, Alabama White requires no epoxy injection of fiberglass mesh backing. The material also displays translucent qualities in these thinner applications, which can be quite appealing to the design community here in the U.S. and abroad.” -Excerpted from Alabama White Marble’s Comeback SYLACAUGA, Alabama – The belt of white marble that runs beneath this central Alabama city once yielded gleaming columns, panels and other architectural elements found in monuments, government buildings, hotels and banks across the nation. For several decades, however, creamy Alabama marble has been in short supply for high-profile commercial and government projects. A new venture spearheaded by Bessemer businessman Roy Swindal and his family, along with international backing, intends to change that. Their plans for Sylacauga Marble Quarry would return Alabama white marble to its heritage as a prized construction material, used in the interiors of the U.S. Supreme Court, the ceiling of the Lincoln Memorial and in many other notable structures. -Excerpted from Sylacauga Marble Quarry venture plans rebirth for Alabama white marble

Jennifer, do you have honed or polished Namib? I also clean up during and after cooking so should be good there. We were going to do honed per designer and stone warehouse rep to hid the etching, planning on getting it initally sealed and then there after per recommendations. I have 2 boys (9 and 12) well, 3 if you want to count the biggest, messiest boy my husband. They are all usually pretty good but I'm also expecting some spots, staining, etching, bruising etc. this is to be expected and I agree I like the lived in look. I guess I'm just nervous as to how quickly it can stain. Sounds like I wuld have some time to get to the stain and wouldnt be within minutes of contact. BTW- your Namib is gorgeous!