When we were trying to decide on counters (we also wanted matte black or gray -- and were fixated on honed AB until I read all the negative things about it on GW) we got samples of honed Caesarstone in various black and gray colors (a finish similar to leather Silestone, I think). We also got samples of soapstone. We abused all of them with oil left on overnight, a lemon half left on for hours, vinegar, wine, etc. The honed Raven C'stone (which was our favorite) held up well -- easy to clean, didn't stain easily -- but the soapstone was even better. And we like the idea that if -- when -- the soapstone scratches we can just sand the scratches out, or live with them. We like the idea of patina and we thought the soapstone would age better than the CS. We got a great deal on the soapstone from our fabricator (just a bit more than the C'stone) so we went with soapstone although I think the C'stone would have been great. We'll see, I guess. The soapstone should be installed in about 2 weeks.

I just got back from a dealer to compare Helix Lyra and Blanco Orion. The blanco Orion is definitely more of a white background with veining more on the brownish side. I loved all of them but and stuck deciding on Lyra or Blanco...thought I loved Helix but it seems greyer against my white dove cabinets.

Did you pay for scrathched tile that needed to be buffed out? If the answer is no, you have your response to the contractor. But this should be addressed with the contractor not the tile guy as he is sub of the contractor not the your. The proper chain of custody is this gets addressed with the contractor (who you hired) so he may address it with the tile guy (who he hired)..............

Good news. Stone can be refinished just like wood. A stone professional can come in and buff up those tiles and reseal them. You want to try your best to stick with the stones that are already laid. Once you start pulling up stones, you risk MORE DAMAGE to the surfaces of the other stones. And you run the risk the stones will not sit flush with the others. And you would still have to remove the toilette and put back in = same issues as before. Please take a room shot so that we can see the overall install as well as the overall LOOK of the scratches. Believe it or not, the best option might just be to leave it be. Once you have loaded the room shots, feel free to reach out to a stone company to ask them about the cost of a fix. Oh...the other thing: the trades people probably thought these floors were porcelain so they may not have taken the care needed around a black stone. Did anyone tell them the floors were stone and that surface damage was possible?