Fantasy Brown is gorgeous! Sorry about the etchingâ¦and hope that you will continue to love it -- and be able to relax -- over time. Not sure if this is helpful to folks on the forum, but I took home an unsealed sample of honed White Macaubas quartzite from my fabricator this weekend, and I spot tested it for about 12 hours with a bunch of liquids (lemon, balsamic vinegar, oil, water, tomato sauce, prune juice). The only thing that left a stain (and a light one at that) was the tomato sauce. I didn't notice any etching at all. We plan to have our countertops sealed, so hopefully staining won't be a problem either. Still nervous, but hopeful... Also happy that honing our slabs (vs. leathering) seems to be a much less expensive option, given that our fabricator can hone the edges, thus avoiding the need for a mitered/built up edge.

Since your decorator is a friend, you should express your concerns. The last thing he/she would want is a disastrous installation. I would ask to see some countertops that they fabricated. Also, are you sure you want marble? The "most picky person in the world" might not be okay with etching. It's a truly gorgeous slab but if you can't deal with etching that could be your way to release these slabs & find a true quartzite. I remember lcskaisgir's hunt for her slabs. It took awhile. She passed on a number of marble slabs labeled as quartzite & in the end found her beautiful quartzite slabs. I believe T&M brought her slabs in from another state. I also bought my slabs from T&M in Illinois. My slabs were transferred from a Minnesota T&M. Not trying to talk you out of those slabs - you could also just have them transferred to another fabricator.

We do not have edge staining. The only place we notice any change in color is along the seam where our faucet is. And mostly when my MIL decides to wash dishes at the holidays. LOL. Our dish towels are nearby and I just wipe up any excess water. If water does get through the seam and discolors the stone, it dries within a day and it’s back to normal. No issues like what is reported here. Our quartzite was labeled as Mykonos... looks to be similar to a Macaubus. We’ve had it almost a year and a half. We seal it twice a year. Takes about an hour to do (more so with dry time between sealant applications), but I can easily multitask and do other things, honestly it is not a big deal at all.

@Karen Lee, in some areas they sell 2 cm slabs and in others 3 cm slabs. Generally when people get 2 cm slabs they want it to look thicker, so the edges either get a laminated edge or a mitered edge ... those have to be glued on. The wrong glue might cause a reaction and lead to staining. In my previous house that geographic area mostly had 2 cm slabs, so I had a laminated edge. Never had any issues with it. My new build house is in an area with 3 cm slabs, so I just have an eased edge on the actual slab. No additional pieces glued on. This describes it with pictures: https://marble.com/granite-edges/laminated-straight-edge/33#