Quartzite: Polished or Leathered?

7 years ago

Hello Houzz Family!

I have found so many answers to my kitchen Q's but had to ask about the preferred finish for Taj Mahal Quartzite.

What is more durable... Polished or Leathered? Our preference is both, we love the texture of leathered and the brightness & reflection of polished. We are a busy household and put our current laminate kitchen counters through hell! For durability and decades of enjoyment, what would you recommend for your Taj Mahal Quartzite?

Thanks!

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jmorawiec

7 years ago

Just recently finished our kitchen remodel. We chose Monte Carlo quartzite, which I'm told, is sometimes sold as Taj Mahal. We went with the leather finish and love it! I sometimes do miss that shiny finish, but if I had to do it over again, would go with leather again.

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Comments (16)

cpartist
7 years ago
No quartzite is HARDER. Marble is softer.
nhbaskets
7 years ago
Yesterday I went on a kitchen tour fund raiser for a local arts center. One house had Super White that was leathered. The kitchen designer that was there insisted it was quartzite. Yes, we all know to question that statement. What I was drawn to were the raised veins in the stone. I couldn't take my hands off of it! I was told the fabricator has used wire brushes to achieve the effect. The lighter parts that are less dense were lower than the darker veins. I have polished SW, which I do believe is quartzite. Love mine, but this blew me away. I can only describe it as earthy. In my previous kitchen we had leathered granite, but nothing as tactile as this.
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kksmama, Taj Mahal is one of the most trouble-free stones that you can get, so they've made an excellent choice. It's not porous so it's unlikely to stain - and that's the worry with other quartzites. As for hot pans, the trouble isn't because the minerals in the stone can't handle heat, it's because all slabs are relatively thin, and the 'thermal shock' of a hot pan can cause the stone to expand, but just in that one small spot. The stress over the small area can create a crack. It's unlikely - but not impossible. A couple years ago I did lots of tests putting a smoking-hot cast iron skillet on various slabs and none of the 2 cm slabs cracked. But a thinner one did - it was quartz though, not natural stone. Nonetheless, even with Taj Mahal I would use trivets. I'm so glad your stone is working out for you and I know exactly what you mean about the satisfaction of having done your homework. Good for you!
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True quartzite does not etch. You should test for yourself to know for sure. Check out karin_mt's threads about testing quartzite. She is a geologist and very helpful in teaching people about countertop materials and their properties.
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It clashes horribly. You have to vote one off of the island. If you keep the backsplash, you can’t use that counter. You need a more solid quartz with it. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish over $300 worth of tile here. The $1800 install labor for the professional tiler is where the big expense will be. Sell it on Craigslist.
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We have quite a lot of Taj Mahal. It took 3 years for our home to be completed and we just moved in 4 weeks ago. I have leathered Taj in my laundry room, working pantry and my kitchen. I also put Taj Mahal, not leathered, in our master bathroom. I love it. We did a different Quartzite in the guest baths, powder room and and on our two fireplace surrounds. So far, so good. I am careful with it, but not any more so than I always was with my choices of granite, in the past. Best of luck to you on your decision❣️
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beachem
7 years ago
Either finish is durable especially with quartzite. Taj Majal is not a busy stone so the polished would bring out its beauty. Leather would make it feel very tactile but would not be eye catching as the leathered finish make colors more muted. That doesn't really matter in Taj Majal since it's a muted stone.
Jancy
7 years ago
Love Taj Majal. Leathered looks nice but polished to me is prettier. What would bother me about the leathered surface is not having a smooth surface if I was writing on paper. I had a leathered sample piece and could not write a note on it without it looking bumpy and knew that would drive me crazy.
C L
7 years ago
Both would be pretty! If you like fancy and maybe more formal I would say polish. If the thought of marble appeals to you (that intrinsic beauty with a patina marble), I would say leathered. Leathered is cool and different. Polished is beautiful and more formal. I guess it depends on your overall style BUT either would/will be beautiful!
bubbab09
5 years ago
We just finished building our new home and while the building was going on our Super White Quartzite was ruined. They are replacing it and now we are needing to decide on polished or leathered. We currently have polished and noticed it shows water spots/etching. Does anyone have problems with their stone with etching on polished or leathered?
2ManyDiversions
5 years ago
jmorawiec, lovely, lovely finish on your countertops!

Personally I can't speak on durability as I currently have neither, but if you prefer one over the other, I'd go the route that makes you happiest. I have read that leathered tends to be more forgiving if you've a busy, well-used kitchen and don't always wipe up crumbs. I've also read it can hide some stains and/or etching, but not sure about that. We plan to go with leathered for the reasons I just mentioned. OTOH, polished is always attractive, and it only takes a swipe to clean crumbs.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
" We currently have polished and noticed it shows water spots/etching."

If it's etching, it's not quartzite. Test, please.
javiwa
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Super White is dolomitic marble, not quartzite., per our unofficial resident geologist karin_mt. Please have a read: The lowdown on Super White.

Sorry, bubbab09, but polished vs leathered will not prevent your stone from etching.

ETA: Etching will be less apparent on a leathered surface than on a polished (think mirror-smooth), but the stone itself will still etch.
cindy_stine98
5 years ago
We installed leathered Taj Mahal that we purchased from Walker Zanger. It is gorgeous and tactile. It doesn’t etch, stain or scratch. I believe it’s as hard or harder than the granite we replaced. The leather is whiter than the polished version. The polished goes more beige. We are goimy to order the same for master.
abrase03
4 years ago
would love to see more photos of leathered Taj Mahal in kitchens
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Kitchen Doctors
4 years ago
As a six-year employee of Kitchen Doctors, I have designed many beautiful kitchens while patiently awaiting the day when we could remodel our own. The raised panel white cabinets are in place, and my gorgeous leathered Taj Mahal stone will be installed next week. Abrase03, stay tuned... :)
Shelly Krafve
4 years ago
Kitchen Doctors did you go with shiny or dull backsplash with leathered Taj Mahal? I have it on hold for install once cabinets are installed.
chadhat
3 years ago
Same question!
0
PRO
Kitchen Doctors
3 years ago
Sorry for the delayed response! We chose a glossy tile, but we did not add under cabinet lighting so, although I can see the shine in person, it does not always photograph with the light reflecting off it. These photos look a little darker right now than the kitchen normally does in person. I'll post again another day. Maybe once we take care of a few decorative details...

Quartzite: Polished or Leathered?

jmorawiec

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cpartist

nhbaskets

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