We're using granite rather than quartzite. And our finish is leathered rather than honed. It will be on our island and perimeter. We weren't LOOKING for a non-shiny granite - but, when we found it, it's just what we wanted. According to our fabricator (who has flamed granite in her house), it is no worse in porosity than it's shiny counterpart if you keep it sealed. She went on to say that we really aren't going to need to seal it often - she's had hers in for about 4 years and hasn't yet needed to reseal. Things that we *think* we like (since it isn't installed yet) is that we won't need to worry so much about fingerprints and wiping streaks. And, a crumb or two isn't going to show up as easily as with the shiny ones. I also suspect (but this reminds me to post here) that the lack of shine will mean that if we are using LED strips, the individual diodes won't show as much in the countertop as a shiny one.

Quick update for anybody else considering this countertop material.....I was able to get a sample of this and tested its resistance to staining/etching/discoloring. No issues with 409, windex (no-ammonia), acetone,or a hot pan placed directly on top. I sealed the sample. Left ketchup, mustard, red wine and coffee overnight. Minor stains from coffee and mustard. Very noticeable stains from red wine (bright purple) and ketchup, the worst being the wine. After some googling and experimenting, I discovered that the stains do come off if I make a paste from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, spread it over the stains, cover with plastic and leave it for an hour or more. However, I think I will look for a more stain-proof countertop. None of these substances stained the Santa Celia granite countertop in my kitchen.

Regarding the Absolute Black granite, the answer is do not seal. I repeat, do not. Different granites have different densities or "absorption rates". If a stone has a high absorption rate, that means it absorbs things readily, and needs to be sealed to prevent that absorption of things you might spill that would stain. However, Absolute Black is the most dense granite there is, with an extremely low absorption rate. That means that if you apply sealer, the stone is too dense to absorb it. The sealer would just sit on the surface of the stone. That leads to hazing, which is a cloudy haze appearance on the stone from sealer not being absorbed. The haze can only be removed by removing the sealer with acetone. As I said, do not apply sealer to Absolute Black. BTW, Absolute Black isn't the only granite that doesn't need sealer. There are quite a few different granites that are dense. My granite counters are 12 years old, have never been sealed, and look like the day they were installed. Unfortunately there are a lot of bad counter fabricators who have not bothered to learn which granites need to be sealed and which don't. They just apply sealer to everything. Absolute Black's appearance would be marred by sealer. Regarding your comment about etching - AB won't etch. If a stone is going to etch, like marble does for example, no sealer will stop that. Sealer is to prevent stains, not etching. Regarding your quartzite, I don't know if it needs sealer or not. There have been a number of threads on this forum that talk about it, and you should look for those.

Can you tell me best sealer for my quartzite counters? I was told these are quartzite but it shows marks and now has some dull areas. I’m sick about this. I was told these a Calcutta super white quartzite. I would appreciate any advise.