Aqua Kitchen and Bath - I posted this in another thread but I'm going to put it here too. That article you linked to has a lot of incorrect information in
it. Would you be interested in correcting it? I can help you.

Super White is not quartzite. It's dolomitic marble. Super White will NOT wear like granite. It will wear like marble, because it is marble.

Your article states: "Super White is a quartzite or, as some geologists call it, dolomitic marble."

That sentence is really wrong. It's saying something is two entirely
different things. But that's not true at all. This is particularly
concerning in an article that is attempting to clarify what Super White
is, while actually being one of the more confusing and incorrect
articles out there.

Have a look at this, which addresses Super White and the quartzite/marble mislabeling problem. http://usenaturalstone.com/definitive-guide-quartzite/

And let me know if you want help in rewriting that article.
Well-informed customers are happy customers! Let's put out the best info
we can. Thanks!

Not much of an update, but here is the latest.

Cristallo failed to arrive in the city this week, as promised. Our stone guy is saying maybe next week... Even if it arrives (and we happen to like), it would be only enough for our island and we don't know what to do about the perimeter. Negresco/Jet mist were contenders, but the stone yard refused the request to send samples. Rather described the stone in two sentences (because that would make me fall in love with the slabs and wire him a few $K immediately), including words like "Dyed" and "not very dyed". Whatever that means...

We went to see White Macaubas and Taj Mahal that are locally available. TM, despite being beautiful, will just not work with our decor. We have white and charcoal gray throughout our house, including kitchen floor. WM had a lot of green veining, so that was also a fail. The stone yard people pressured us to make a selection, telling us "you have 15 minutes to look" followed by "make a decision already!", so that was that... We left. And they are the only local natural stone supplier.

As DH and I were saying, today was not a good stone day.

On positive light, our two small vanity tops were installed (one in Super White and other one in Danby marble) and they are beautiful!! If we can't have them in the kitchen, then we are going to have them in our bathrooms.

I’m very sorry for all the difficulty you are having. It sounds like your suppliers are not very ethical. I’m not familiar with Negresco but Jet Mist is a very common stone and usually reasonably priced. You might even be able to see a sample at Lowes or Home Depot, if you have one of those local.

https://www.agmimports.com/

This is the website for one of the local stone yards. Not professional photography and of course natural stone can vary dramatically but at least you might find some photos.

Happyjane,

"The stone yard people pressured us to make a selection, telling us "you have 15 minutes to look" followed by "make a decision already!", so that was that... We left. And they are the only local natural stone supplier..."

Words can't even begin to express how truly terrible this is! There are some unethical, dishonest and pushy stone people in the world. Is there any other stone yard option for you? I know you said 18 hours away from but maybe it would be worth it to find someone else. A different company that will work with you.

Our main stone yard did have samples for testing but not for every stone. HOwever my fabricator/installer is testing the stone I chose. They have worked with me and been supportive in this process. If you could find another stone fabricator that will help you it will make a world of difference. You would have a stone expert artist on your side.

~boxer

Hi boxerpal. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! I should have clarified that the stone yard gave us 15 minutes because they had 4 slabs on display for us. They say that it was covering up other display slab, so they needed to limit our viewing time. But I am not sure how many people really select slabs within the 15 minutes. We were quite offended when they insist that we make a selection on that visit.

Jilly Belle - wow am I ever jealous of your local selection!!! Our local slab yard has four quartzites in stock: SW, TM, WM and some brown slab which name I forgot (it was already broken in half). The reason we thought of virginia mist or negresco is because we thought it would be a 'safer' option, but we were wrong.

We will wait another week or two to see if the right cristallo or any other slab appears. Otherwise we might have to postpone our project, because it is consuming too much of my energy and it is stressing me out way to much. We have very short summer in Canada, so I should be spending it playing with my kids and living life, rather than begging stone yard/fabricators.

I want to thank everyone for all your support!!!

Good for you Happyjane. Focus on family and fun. Get back to the kitchen later. We will be in Memphremegog for a few weeks to get away from the heat of down south. Canada is gorgeous.

The right counter will come along. I agree with you 15 min is not enough time to make a decision. Plenty of time later for counter surfing for a new stone.

~boxer

HappyJaye - Regardless of how many slabs you were looking at, or what their display area is like, I find it very unprofessional to ask customers to make a selection that is both expensive and one which the customer has to live with for a long time, in such a short duration. I'm sorry you had to experience that.

My husband and I started looking for countertops and although one would think it'd be a fun experience, it is extremely stressful. I, too, believe that you will find the perfect slab/s, but maybe the timing is just not 'now'! :0

Enjoy your 'short' summer and spend it with your kids. Eventually everything will fall into place for you!

Thanks Jora!! Really appreciate your support and encouragement!! Yes, the right slab will come along!! The stress and sleepless nights thinking of slabs will be rewarded! :D

Sue Lesczynski

I love your kitchen. Is your floor tile? Brand and color?

Hi Pegkohl - In most cases you can't tell by looking, and particularly not at an image on the screen. The tests are the way to go, so I'm glad that's what you're planning on doing.

Hi Pegkohl - Neither the photo nor the name are going to be helpful, I'm sorry to say. You can only learn what you need to know by testing that particular piece of stone.

On stones that are really well known, there's enough info out there that we can generalize based on collective experiences. But outside of that, the only thing you can do is subject the stone to as many tests as you can.

As for the nail - did it leave a noticeable, feel-able scratch? Was it scratching the stone itself, not some sort of coating?

With the vinegar, did it leave an etch mark? Usually you won't see bubbles (you need stronger acid for that) but you will get an obvious etch mark.

Read how to do the tests here
http://usenaturalstone.org/definitive-guide-quartzite/

My fabricator said all stones will scratch which mine did but he's fabricated this slab before and its quartzite. He said all stones need to be sealed

"He said all stones need to be sealed."

He's having trouble with his qualifiers. He meant to say "most" instead of "all".

Hello everyone,

The madness is back. We have to un-pause the kitchen project because our cabinet maker will retire. And we really need him to do our kitchen before that.

Back to countertop... sigh...

Our cristallo, which was last promised to be delivered today, is still not here.

DH and I looked every possible place in the city. What we know is that we want natural stone. We certainly love the look of a marble, and we are messy cooks who loves to drink wine. We entertain a lot and live with two adorably wild toddlers, so the countertop needs to be tough.

going against all the advice, we have to order a slab based on online photos.

So what are our options? What are light-colored quartzites that are strong and don't etch, scratch and stain (with sealer, of course).

From what I gather, these are likely to be bullet-proof: Taj Mahal, White Macaubas (watch for porosity), Sea Peal, Madre Perla.

Can we add Cristallo, Quarzo Bianco and Lumix to the list?

Any one has experience with these? Please??

we are leaning towards Quarzo Bianco or Lumix, as our fabricator knows this guy... far far away... that carries them. And based on the photo, they are beautiful.

Of course, i will not forget to pray and keep my fingers crossed!

Wilson853

Your contertop is beautiful! How long did you have it?

Our supplier has Nuage as well, but fabricator says that it would etch. And don't worry, it doesn't look anything like yours

We did a mini test of cristallo (not ours. someone else bought it already, but apparently I can order a sister slab) and it didn't scratch or etch (but only short 15 minute test with lime juice). We didn't get to test for stain...

But given the advice here, i will definitely put this under a 'maybe' list. (Maybe it is a good thing, as it is the most expensive candidate, so far :)

I prefer testing stone to praying, finger crossing, and falling in love.

Joseph Corlett, LLC

We would love to be able to test as well. Apparently that is not really an option if we want anything other than more popular granites, like ubatuba, black pearl, etc. Nothing against those stones. But we are just smitten with white quartzites, and our option is to make an educated guess. I am here to get educated, and i know some of you would cross fingers with us !! You would have been invited to a big dinner party after, if you were able to drop by ;)

That Nuage slab looks very much like our slabs. We have been installed since April and heavily use our kitchen. Nothing has etched, stained or chipped it. We are an Italian house so a lot of cooking goes on with lemon, sauce, wines, olive oil, etc. Not sure why your fabricator thinks that, but this stone has been just as impervious as the Ubatuba that we had for well over 20 years. Our perimeters are white and I have a black glazed cherry island, so we used the parts of the slabs that had the most white in them. Our installers were enamored with this stone. Said that last year they were installing marble looking quartz almost every day and were glad to see a natural stone. Most people think it is marble.

Of course testing is an option. Would you marry someone without first ever going out on a date?

lol Joseph Corlett, LLC you are right. But the alternative is to compromise and marry one that you don't love, just for the sake of getting married. That, would be wrong. I find our situation sad, but we may have shot at true love with a mail order spouse.

I would take Cristallo off my list. I tested 3 slabs when I was looking, last year. All failed etching, badly.

And there is NO WAY I would purchase ANY slab, without testing it. That is just asking for disappointment.

Hello guys. I am back :)

So, today our Cristallo has finally arrived!!

I could not get a sample, so I took 'my lab' with me. I saturated thick cotton pads in lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar and red wine, and placed at the corner of the slab. We left if for about 30 minutes (as we couldn't stay there forever) then removed. Nothing! Not an etch, stain... nada. I know it was just 30 minutes, but I remember SW samples etching the moment any acid touched it.

The slab didn't have sharp corners to test the glass, but they let me try to scratch it with a blade and car key. Did not make a mark.

I think we are moving along with Cristallo.

Here is new dilemma:

The slab is not large enough to do our entire kitchen. So we have to either order another slab of cristallo and do the entire kitchen with it, or order another slab to do a different perimeter. Either way, we have to order another slab and wait... again.

A permieter contender is Grafiti Granite, in leathered finish. We got a sample shipped and brought it home. I thought Grafiti was slate, but the fabricator and stone yard both swear that this is a granite.

I have few questions, please:

(karin_mt, I hope that you are here :)

1. Would you say that 30 minute acid test on Cristallo was enough to have some confidence on the slab?

2. What is the best way to test whether the stone is granite or slate? (we have the sample at home)

3. What should we do: whole kitchen in Cristallo or do Cristallo/Dark granite combo?? (BTW, grafite granite is quite expensive. They want to charge me as much as SW)

Here are some photos:

1. Cristallo, next to Grafite (They call it Granite. It is leathered, and it looks shiny because the fabricator has just put enhancer on it)

2. Grafite - leathered, Slab

3. Cristallo, next to AB, polished

4. Cristallo

5. Cristallo, against the sunlight

P.S. After I post, I found a granite called Black Vermont. I think this may be the same as this Grafite Granite that I have posted here.

Can we add Cristallo, Quarzo Bianco and Lumix to the list?

If you read up (probably got lost in all the posts) my sister has what I believe is Cristallo and it etches and pieces keep chipping off. She was told it was quartzite and swore to me she'd never buy a quartzite again until I explained that from what she was telling me, that she got a marble.

Happy Jane:

You don't need a particularly sharp corner to test with the glass. Pull a beer bottle down an edge and see what happens, please.

No Joseph, you do need a sharp edge, and you have to put some weight into it. I've seen many inaccurate test results by people just skimming the stone over the glass with a light touch that doesn't scratch (or prove) anything.

It's important to note that because you need to press hard --- be careful not to break the glass. Best method is to use a glass tile, on a tabletop, and press hard with a sharp corner of the stone. That's the most reliable way to get good results.

If you can't get a sample, then the next best way is to use an awl or the top of a knife on the slab. You also have to press hard.

If you want to go full-pro, invest in a set of Mohs hardness picks, and scratch with each one until you find the exact hardness.

Jaye, if the lemon was really in good contact with the stone, 30 minutes should be plenty. Then you'd look at the stone at a low angle to see if there is a dulling of the finish.

Slate has thin layers. Look at the edges of the slab - particularly any place that it's broken or irregular. Slate also has very fine grains, meaning you cannot point to any single grain or crystal. Lastly, slate usually has a dull-ish or satiny luster. If it's sparkly or shiny, it's probably not slate.

These are all pretty subjective measures. The thin layers are far and away the best indicator.

Hope that helps!

Hi karin_mt, my Rockstar!!

Thank you so much for getting back to me.

This is the broken edge of the Grafite.

- I am sure I don't see any layers.

- But I do see satiny luster on it (our sample slab is honed, while if we go with this stone, we would be going with the exact same stone but leathered)... which I love

- I do see grains... some of them are sparkly, like crystal sugar. I am not sure if you can see on this photo...

I tried to scratch it with butter knife (pressing hard) and didn't scratch. I used its sharp edge to scratch a shot glass, and it did make a scratch. Would you say that this is a granite then?

I also posted question/poll asking ppl to help us decide: whether we do all Cristallo or Cristallo/Grafite combo.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/vote-on-our-contertop-slab-selection-please-dsvw-vd~5427905

Here is the link. Please cast your vote (as we have to order another slab next week, and do the waiting game again... (

Oh yeah, that's granite for sure. Not slate.

Good luck with your decision!

Thank you so much karin_mt and everyone giving me support here!!

So far, my husband is winning the countertop vote. I will find out this week when the new ETA would be. I think I will go @#%$!#$ if they now tell me that they can't get a new slab for us. Fingers crossed!

Just wanted to share info on Cristello / Cristallo. (Spelling did vary per source)

DH and I saw a slab of Cristallo in spring of this year (which was already purchased by someone else) and we fell in love with it. This slab was very hard to find in the city where we live. We tried several times to find another type of stone, but we kept coming back to Cristallo.

It did not come easy for us: we had several issues – from slabs ‘disappearing’ in the Brazilian port to issues with several other slabs (cracks, large fissures and fabricator cutting wrong).

After months of heart/head-ache, we finally have our Cristallo installed in our kitchen over the weekend (November!!!!).

It was stressful and super expensive (to us, at least) but it was completely worth everything. It looks like stunning slab of ice, like the surface of a frozen lake. Slab has impurities such as rusty veins, etc. and IMO these make the slab even more interesting.

Our kitchen is still work in progress. We still have to find backsplash and wall paint that compliments the slab, so our kitchen is nowhere near completion. I will post photos later when we progress a bit further.

I had really hard time finding information on Cristallo. I was ever searching for any info, because we had to buy a slab based on photos alone. No testing, no looking/touching in person. We had to gamble.

So I am posting this hoping that it would help some people in a similar situation.

Here is a strip that I got, just before the installation.

I tested it with Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Red Wine, Balsamic Vinegar, Hot Sauce, Ketchup and Tomato Sauce. First I left it for 1 hour, then for 3 hours, overnight, and finally – 24 hours

Not a single stain or etching. And the test was done on an unsealed piece of Cristallo.

Here are shots, after 24 hours. Note rusts and veins are natural part of the slab.

And here is a shot glass that I have used to do scratch test.

Of course you have to test your own slab… but I hope that you find it helpful.

Thank you everyone for all your helpful advice and opinions.

Special THANKS to karin_mt !!

Excellent information..Now we want to see its beauty in your kitchen.

HappyJaye - that is awesome! I really love that stone, but the ones I found and tested scratched so easily I just had to pass on them. If I had found one that passed testing I know I would have gone with it - it really was my #1 pick. Lucky you - it looks beautiful! Looking forward to pictures of your kitchen with it installed. :-)

What excellent news, HappyJaye! Bonus points on your perfectly executed geology lab, too. Thank you for sharing the results and it's going to be amazing to see this stone installed. Fingers crossed it all goes smooth and easy.

HappyJaye! Wonderful news. Hubby and I had picked out two different slabs. First: Labradorite Blue. Second: Dolce Vita. We went back several times, but just couldn't decide. Then we saw and fell in LOVE with Cristallo (our store referred to it as Moscovita). Knew right away this was IT!

I was on pins and needles when it was being delivered to the fabricators, and throughout the whole process. Ours was installed in October. We are SO in love.

Our kitchen is in progress as we still haven't figured out the backsplash yet. We're considering a few options, but haven't yet fully decided. May I ask what you are pondering for backsplash and etc.?

Thanks for the post!

Hi Jora . Congratulations on the countertop as well!! i am so happy to hear that you do love it.

I would love to have you as backsplash discussion buddy!!!

Do you have a discussion started on the backsplash? If so, please send me the link so i can join. Otherwise we should start one. Thanks!!!

Hi HappyJaye - I don't think I started one (but then again that's up for debate as I seem to be forgetting most things lately)!

I'd love if you would start one, as I find your posts create a lot more traffic.

If you wish we can also exchange emails and go from there.

I have searched and searched and although I'm absolutely in love with many, a lot of them are way beyond financial reach (we need approximately 55 sq. feet).

Can't wait to exchange info.!

Jora

Hi Jora That is a great idea!!

At the moment my kitchen is still a madness. I don't have plumbing hooked up because I had issues with parts and have to wait few days to get them delivered :(. I will take some photos as soon as the plumbing is done and start a thread to brainstorm for backsplash tile. I am so glad to have an ally!!

Well think of the bright side...no plumbing means no cooking for Thanksgiving! ;). You get the day OFF!

Please let me know when you have started the thread so I can view/add! :)

Happy Holiday Week.

@happyjaye or @jora - I too have fallen in love with Cristallo. Any chance either of you could provide an update on how your Cristallo countertops are holding up? And have you been sealing them annually? Thank you in advance! Would LOVE to get any feedback you could provide on these!

Hi Jeannie Schaldach

We love, love, love our Cristallo. Everyone who has seen it has fallen in love with it.

In our case, it has been bomb-proof so far.

We prepare food, cook, and eat on Cristallo surface.

We eat every meal on our island, and we have to young kids who are not too careful. The countertop has been indestructible, so far. No stains, scratches or chips.

However, our installer has told me, right after the installation is finished, that the stone can be brittle, therefore we have been very careful to make sure that it doesn’t get hit hard or in a funny angle.

And we haven't re-sealed ours yet. I was told by the installer that it won't be necessary.

Hope this helps. Cheers~

Great helpful information about Cristallo! Could I ask what is the cost....

Caroline:

All natural stones labeled as "quartzite" needs to be tested by you in person for porosity and whether or not its true quartzite. Do not trust a stone salesperson please. Plenty of catastrophic disasters here from those who failed to heed this advice.

Can’t tell you what I have, but have been very happy with it and it’s durability. After 6 years of lots of cooking I have one quarter size slightly etched spot in my polished quartzite.

What is the name of this Quartzite and where did you purchase it?