I finally chose my countertop slabs last week, and they are Taj Mahal, but it’s not like most of the TM I’ve seen. It has veins of white quartz and lots of criss-crossing lines. It was so stunning in person that I was able to easily let go of my Cristallo Quartzite on hold at another slab yard. I’ve carefully read through all of the threads concerning what backsplash to use with TM, and today I found this tile measuring 3” x 12” by DalTile, at Home Depot. It’s so inexpensive, and it matches my SW Alabaster paint perfectly! I was leaning toward a more hand-made look for my tile, but this will be the one if I don’t find something better, and I’ll install it in a herringbone pattern. The TM sample doesn’t look much like my slabs, but it did match the grayish tones in them. I’m thankful for all of the input, because I probably would have chosen something with more of a pattern, and the TM needs to be the star!

To Mrs Pete & susyq53 The mesh is on the backside meaning underside of the 2cm slab (only one side polished). I'm guessing quarry put it on to add some strength during transport just in case. I'm not fully sure why mesh is put on and shy only some slabs. But I'm guessing it's probably for the thinner cut slabs and to manage risks during handling. I have attached pics of a sample piece from my stone supplier. You can see the mesh on the backside. It would not be visible when stone is installed but a couple inches of it would have to be removed from edge if they were to make the laminated butt seamed edge profile (to get stone touching stone without mesh in between). Oldryder explained it well how it may chip a bit while grinding this stuff off making that edge seam not super tight and thereby not as invisible. And Mrs Pete the waterfall is in regards to the 1.5" edge (with veining water-falling over along edge to match. I was considering a full 36" wall waterfall at the viewing end of this long island but not sure I have enough material and trying to avoid a 3rd slab. WRT waterfall mitered edges, I think it would be nice but may not be critical. I would hope a stone like this is pretty forgiving with it's coloration and veining that an edge piece taken from another part of the slab would still blend in pretty well along the edge. To the point of not jumping out at you as a mismatched edge unless you really studied it. Top/Front of TM sample Underside/Back of TM sample showing mesh

@typeandrun, thank you for the response and feedback. Just out of curiosity, was honing an option when you were making your decision. This gives it the matte look but without the texture. We are going with a dark greenisland and warm white perimeter cabinets and I really like the Taj Mahal. I just want to make sure I get slabs that are more cream than beige. That's the toughest part b/c they look so different in the warehouses than they will in real life.

@Summer Lilly The risks of quartzite and the alternative surfaces to achieve lighter colorations have been written about elsewhere in the Houzz forum, but I will copy a few of my comments from other threads for reference here since you asked. As with any forum input, please do your own research. A skilled fabricator and proper tooling is essential to a successful installation with quartzite which is both dense and, as a result, on the brittle side. Cracking of quartzite is well-documented elsewhere. For starters: Just noticed a crack on Taj Mahal counter by the faucet hole Cracks around sink . . . quartzite countertops Cracked quartzite countertop Crack in new quartzite countertop Crack in Newly Installed Quartzite Island Countertop Quartzite Countertops May be Gorgeous, But . . . Cracked quartzite during installation Much of the Taj Mahal quartzite on the market right now is skewing brown. A sales rep at Triton Stone told me that this is due to the slabs being cut from farther back in the quarry now and that the producers are actually processing slabs with bleach to lighten some of the brown tones in the quartzite. The lighter, creamy tones that were more desirable are harder to get now. Taj Mahal is one of the more durable quartzites, not having as many impurities in the way of calcite deposits which can lead to etching as with other stones labeled quartzite. Quartzites are overall lighter in color than a lot of the granite selections but have varying track records for durability. As a group, they are so dense in composition that they are brittle to the point of cracking during or after fabrication and installation if not done by a consummate professional with proper tools and lots of water used during cutting. Some quartzites behave more like marble and tend to etch or stain. They are costly, which adds to the level of risk given the propensities for problems. Some people absolutely love quartzite and wouldn't have anything else, but do your research on the variety as some are known to flake like crazy or develop hairline cracks easily. Nothing looks like actual marble; it is such a special and unique surface. There are some marbles more durable than others, particularly the dolomitic marbles, and a great sealer can go a long way toward making marble a workable surface, but if you really want the look of marble in an ultra-durable surface, engineered quartz might be your best option. Also, I'm not sure if you've priced quartzite or not, but if you go that route, you'll be sinking a lot of the budget into your countertop with no guarantee the fabrication and installation will go smoothly nor guarantee unless you're able to obtain a sample for pre-testing that the material will wear well long-term. That said, quartzite is becoming a very popular surface in high-end kitchen design, so proceed with caution if you decide to continue to investigate this. There is no light-colored natural stone countertop out there that is foolproof. Taj Mahal seems to have the best reputation all-around among quartzites for durability in regard to etch resistance and probability of a successful fabrication if you're using a skilled fabricator, but it can have what some may consider to be unsightly rust veins. Once you move on to other quartzites, you're usually dealing with more risk of flaking, breaking, and etching concerns than you might have with Taj Mahal. The slabs themselves may have already broken and been glued back together, something you may not recognize unless you've been trained to see it.