It doesn't look like a vein to me, and no, veins shouldn't change color. Hopefully a pro will see this and chime in.

" Do veins change color over time?"

Yes, as they fill with contamination, they become darker. You've got a contaminated crack.

Go to the beauty supply store and get some #40 peroxide. Let that dwell for a few days. Keep it refreshed and stop contaminating the crack. No spilling or wiping. Yeah, I know it's a sink. Too bad.

When you get the crap out, you need to fill the crack with some water clear adhesive capable of plenty of penetration, and probably buffing it to smooth; not a DIY job. When you get it clean, call a pro, please.

Peek under your sink and see if there's an insert sink fastener near the crack, please.

" Do veins change color over time?"

Yes, as they fill with contamination, they become darker. You've got a contaminated crack.

Joseph, I just want to be clear. So veins can become darker if they fill with stuff, but what the OP is looking at is a crack. Correct?

And, could this crack have been done by the OP simply using the sink, or was it most likely done at installation? And if the latter, can they get the fabricator to replace?

Thank you for the input. There is a fastener on the right edge of the sink. I don't know if this would be close enough to cause the crack.

The fabricator said I bought cheap Quartzite...he has no intention of taking any responsibility. From what I've read, I don't know if I have any recourse.

Any suggestions of who to look up for repair? Would someone who repairs marble be able to fix this?

"Joseph, I just want to be clear. So veins can become darker if they fill with stuff, but what the OP is looking at is a crack. Correct?

And, could this crack have been done by the OP simply using the sink, or was it most likely done at installation? And if the latter, can they get the fabricator to replace?"

Stones may crack at veins, they may not. Anytime a crack or vein darkens, as this one has, it's cracked because the crack is filling with contamination causing it to darken.

Who knows when this happened, but my bet's on fabrication/installation.

"Our fabricator is telling us its a vein"

Did he actually say that with a straight face???

Thanks Joseph!

Yes. The owner won't come see it. He finally sent someone to look at it and said I was lucky he did...like he was doing me a favor. From what I gather having talked to his office staff, he doesn't take repairs seriously and will put off a repair as long as he can. He's just about getting paid and moving on and he doesn't like if you don't buy his stone. If anyone has suggestions as to how to fight him on this, I am open to hearing them. I just don't know what avenue to pursue. If I can find someone to repair it so it's less noticeable, then I am open to that option. I saw this coloring of Dolce Vita in only one store which only had 1 slab after I bought mine so I'm not even sure I can get it again.

"If anyone has suggestions as to how to fight him on this, I am open to hearing them."

Send him pictures of his children at their bus stop.

jk

Is he on Angie's List? Yelp? Tell him that how he addresses your issue will be reflected in your online reviews. Also, register a complaint on BBB.

Send him pictures of his children at their bus stop.

You really said that in a public forum?

Um, he also said he was kidding. Or did you miss that?

I knew your were kidding...I think I'm more afraid of him then he is off me! He's not very pleasant. I was hoping for some type legal action I could take but it doesn't sound like there is any. I planned to review him after I figure out what to do. The crack was not the only issue I had. Probably at this point I need to find someone who can fix it or at least make it less noticeable.

mcmirenda: Our counters are Calacatta quartzite -- very veiny all over. Is the vein/crack you pictured the only vein in your stone? Would you post other shots of your stone, as it looks very 'pattern-less'.

The fabricator said I bought cheap Quartzite... To quote Chess: Did he actually say that with a straight face??? I'm questioning whether he actually sold you quartzite, as that is generally (in my experience, research, shopping) an expensive stone (not to mention the fabrication costs for such a hard stone).

I googled Dolce Vita quartzite, and the images are very different (busier, more 'marbled') from your counter:

I must have missed the emoticon.

In any case, it isn't funny. Not by a long shot. Nor am I often politically correct, I'll often call spade a spade.

mkg: Like in home remodeling, there is risk in humor. I bomb on occasion, but it's worth the risk.

For the record, I thought it was funny. I even laughed... Sometimes a little humor is needed to break the tension in a situation. It in no way means one is making fun of/light of the situation.

And mike, for future reference, jk = just kidding. :)

I thought it was hilarious. :-)

Humor is much appreciated around here!

Joseph, like the saying goes, don't give up your day job... <lol>

Javiwa brings up a good point. Is this quartzite or quartz? Pental makes a Dolce Vita quartz that looks much more like what you have.

A quartz, which is manmade, does not have naturally occuring "veins."

More pics of the counter would help.

Here's some more pictures. I purchased the material from a supplier and had it brought to a fabricator that also sells material. So yes, he did say I bought cheap material and that I cut the price in half (because I didn't buy material from him). My response was he shouldn't have taken the job if he felt he was getting ripped off. He didn't have this coloring of Dolce Vita which was the look I was going for. He wants your money but doesn't care after that. I bought enough material to do my powder room also. All of this information was on my contract but they didn't lay the job out correctly, didn't have enough material and didn't tell me before they cut it. During installation, they damaged the kitchen cabinet by the sink. The two guys looked at each other but kept working. My husband caught the situation and stopped them to point out the damage. The guy said to give him the bill and he would take care of it. He didn't want the owner to know. We did tell our salesperson and we were reimbursed. They also did 5 bathroom counter tops, had the wrong material listed for 2 of them, tried to have me sign paperwork with the wrong information, and brought the countertops in with the wrong cut out holes (which was stated correctly on the paperwork). I found out too late that I'm not dealing with a reputable company. It's difficult to get pictures of the veins that are there as they are so fine. I'm sure if this was quartz the fabricator would be telling me I was sold the wrong material. He was looking for any excuse to blame us for this.

Yeah that looks like quartzite to me. Definitely not the Pental material.

Where in the world did you find this company? I hope you get this resolved!

See if Joseph wants to make a road trip to fix after Larry, Moe, and Curly leave. Pretty counter top. Read Karinmtn's posts about stone.

We have too many companies like this where I live. It's hard to find good people. I'm going to stop in the yard that I purchased it from and see if they have any suggestions. They used to fabricate also so maybe they'll have a suggestion of what I can do. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks for all the help. I did think it was a crack but need some outside opinions.

That is a beautiful countertop. Very clearly not bought from the discount bin! What a rubbish fabricator.