1. Bring any samples of cabinet, flooring, that you plan to use. 2. Bring a camera and a notepad. Make notes about the photos and write down the name and size of the slabs. 3. Bring your kitchen drawings, with dimensions. Most kitchens will need two slabs for the entire countertop Measure the general linear feet of countertop and the size of any island to give the granite yard a better idea of whether you need one or two. 4. Have a general idea about whether you want drama or movement or would prefer a more uniform stone pattern. 5. Ask about cracks or flaws. Stay away from those with big crystals in them, or big mica-like pieces, they shatter like glass when being cut and can be unpleasantly fragile. 5. Don't be afraid to "go outside of the box". You may find something truly inspiring that wasn't your initial thought. I'm convinced my honed granite is the most beautiful thing on the planet, yet I went in thinking I was going to want a polished surface.

ItÂs called Capolaboro or Capoa Laboro or Capola Lavoro or Capolavoro. If you do a google image search you will see some that are not any of the above and are not a match. Some, like the piece I bought for my peninsula have a few flecks of an orange-y color off to a side but some do not. My stone was mined in Italy while some similar stones were mined in Brazil. A few places sell it as granite and some online sites claim itÂs a quartzite. It is a stone that is very hard to learn about. All I know is that the slab face to face is beautiful but the dark lines can appear harsh while the rest of the stone has a muddily marbly mully-ness that is simply wonderful and you want to fall in. On the sample I have, while laying flat you do not notice the dark charcoal lines as standing out as much though because the white/warmcream and depth of colors seem prominent (on some slabs there is a hint of deep teal). This is a stone to see in person. Sorry for my weird wordage on description but there is really no other way. I should have an install within two weeks so I will post.

You can always ask why one is so much more, tell him you are trying to decide if it's worth the extra. And even if you can't get the exact same stone, you can still cross shop prices for similar stone. Tell the other shops you are looking at Kashmir, ask how much it runs a foot, what they have in the same price category, what they have that's similar but cheaper. Most of us are so inexperienced with these issues and buy stone counters only a couple times in our lives that questions are just fine. I wouldn't want to deal with a fabricator that didn't want to explain his pricing structure, etc. I got lucky: I just happened on a stone I loved and knew it was right for my space. The price was similar to what I'd been bid for stones I didn't care for as much, so I was able to commit easily...

Is that a picture off of Houzz? If so a lot of times the comments on it will ask that question if it's not stated. No clue here. Are you sure it is granite? You could post here and see if Karin might know. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2692150/countertop-geology-part-six-lets-talk-about-rocks-some-more?n=362#addAnswer