I have white macaubus in my kitchen for about a year. Absolutely no problem with etching standing scratching etc. I read one of the postings above someone said "Quartzites will etch and stain, they are a softer stone. If you're not extremely fastidious, you could have issues." that person obviously does not know what quartzite is, or have even seen one in person. I have had all sorts of sauce left on the courter overnight and not wiped it clean until the next day. Never have problem. Lemon juice, salad dressing, tomato juice, you name it. Get a sample and bring home to test. That's the best way to find out what you are looking at.

I find it interesting that in an earlier comment it was mentioned that the slabs are stored outside. However immediately below is an answer from QM about whether their quartz can be used outside. I don't believe 93% quartz and 7% resin is the amount used in Breton technology. When I spoke to another company which makes quartz in China, I was told that they use the Samsung method and that it is not heated to the high degree that the Breton technology uses. I chose not to purchase the quartz made in China. Can Quartz Master be used outdoors? Please note that outdoor use of our products is not covered by our Lifetime Warranty. Quartz Master’s products have not been tested under prolonged exposure to UV rays. Unfortunately, installing our products outdoors will render our Lifetime Warranty null and void.

I have honed Vermont Danby marble in my kitchen, 5 years ago. I have carrara marble in my powder room for 20 years. I do not like the etching in my kitchen and I am sorry I got the marble. But what is worse is that the marble in my powder room oxidized at year 19, with big ugly splotches of rust, brown, yellow . Joseph commented on my 'oxidize' which I posted to warn potential users of marble. He said that the toilet leaked and water was the trigger. I mainly dont like marble for my kitchen because I wanted a modern look and marble has a more traditional/transitional flavor. I struggled with selecting a countertop and settled on marble after some months and it was a compromise. But I never received one compliment on it either. I do like cooking and baking on it. I think if you love love it you will perhaps forgive it's sins but as a gardenwebber, I have to share. I have no stains whatsoever and a couple of dings. Im pretty sure that I will get quartz for my new kitchen.

I don't know the answer for sure, but I can offer some ideas. If I were getting porous quartzite countertops, I'd have the fabricator put the slab up on edge and seal the heck out of the upward-facing edge, then repeat on all sides. There's a technique called 'puddling in,' where a lot of sealer is put on the surface (like a puddle) and left to sit and soak in for awhile. Obviously the surface needs to be horizontal for this to work, hence the idea of putting the slab up on edge. Also, this would need to be done before it's installed. Then repeat the same method on the top, so that all the edges and the top are sealed well. If you have a willing fabricator, it would be useful to test this idea. It's something on my list to try.