I have had quartzite for almost two years and it has been bulletproof, but it may not be as white as what you are hoping to get. Before making a decision, look for threads on here about quartzite staining which has had happened with some of the lighter quartzites and read through this guide. I tested many samples before finding one that passed. http://usenaturalstone.org/definitive-guide-quartzite/

Thank you Wilson. What color is yours??? Do you reseal it?

I'm in the same boat. Many many stones that are labeled quartzite are actually not. Even if they are, some of my friends have had staining and are not happy. I certainly don't think it has the look of marble, at least those I have seen. I'm going to bite the bullet, and get the marble I LOVE. I know it won't be perfect, but I LOVE it. Quartz looking marble just looks fake to me, and since I have had Corian in my kitchen for 20 years, I don't want to go with another partially FAKE product. I'm going to get a honed finish which is more forgiving. Marble has been used in cafes in Europe for years, and it does develop a patina over time. However, I have finally decided that the marble is just too beautiful not to use, at least for me. Good luck.

M Zink, They are Tahitian Cream from Daltile Stone but the quarry tag was labeled as Nuage Macchia Oro. This quartzite had a lot of variance and some slabs were not very pretty but luckily found a few good ones that had a lot of white. They will be two years old in April and we haven't resealed. We don't baby them or clean them with anything special but we do use trivets. No stains, chips or etching at all.

@Anglophilia - You are correct in that they will last forever. I've had mine for 23 years, without any problems. Am I going to put it in again when I renovate next year. Absolutely NOT - IMO, nothing fake can come close to the beauty of real stone.

"Absolutely NOT - IMO, nothing fake can come close to the beauty of real stone."

Except when you want consistent classic pure white.

Kitchen reno pecking order:

Lay out/ appliances , storage, function

Plumbing and electrical plan ( recessed, under cabinet , over island etc, )

Cabinets and flooring....... door sty;e, painted, stained etc WHAT?

Counter tops in consideration of just above AND lifestyle, maintenance, cooking style )

Sink, faucet

Surface mount lighting style and finish

Cabinet hardware

Back splash

Start with showing us the layout : )

Great info Jan, thank you. We are still in the design phase but I want to do all my research now. I have been to a couple stone yards and now “get” the difference between real stone and quartz however there is a couple quartz styles that are pretty close. I have a list of distributors and maybe that’s what I need to do so I can pick out exactly what quartzite or marble I want and tag it? At a local store, I saw the power of the sealant on natural stone and the woman said it lasts 15 years. Hopefully that’s true?!?

Where's the layout ? It is also appliance DRIVEN. It begins with the function. Not the counter top. Shopping and drooling on stone is fine. Know that quartzite often gets mis - labeled and is actually marble. Marble has beauty........and it will etch. Every possible surface you can choose has a pro and a con.

There is nothing wrong with picking out a stone now. I wouldn't recommend *buying* it yet, but looking and potentially choosing now is fine. Not everyone wants to run their entire process through Houzz. Some people only want advice on materials, or even just colors, and that's OK.

Joe, you can get consistent classic pure white if you choose Thassos marble. But be ready to pay $$$$$.

I’d like to comment on the 15 year sealer. In 2002, I did that to my granite, and the stone was immaculate when we sold the home 10 years later. People kept thinking it was new. The kitchen was well use with 3 kids, entertaining, cooking, etc. I even used occasional Lime Away for descaling around the faucets. That sealant was bullet proof. I’m sorry I don’t remember the name but I got it at Lowe’s. It was about $85 a bottle (Size was less than a gallon) and about 5 times the price of the cheap sealants. Well worth it. IMO. I see today a couple of sealants that are similar.

I have quartzite and it has been bullet proof. The sample passed all the tests suggested by the karin_mt Geology threads. Mine is Taj Mahal, but it is the lighter off-white/cream colors and not the darker grayi/taupe ones.

I am considering using the same quartzite for a future build, but afraid I won't be able to find the lighter creamy variety, which are not as common.