In that pic of your OP, the two pieces look very different. But, can you take a photo from farther back? Sometimes, when counters are seen with the rest of the kitchen, with usual items on the counter like toaster, fruit bowl, etc., the differences aren’t so obvious as in your pic where the counters are close-up and naked.

You cannot darken the left side to match the right side.

Also, that counter doesn’t look like Glacier Wave quartzite I’ve seen on this forum, which has been more gray and with more monochromatic “wavy” veining (hence, the name). Just thought I’d mention that, in case you decide to look for other Glacier Wave slabs.

Thanks for your reply M Miller. Here is a picture taken a little further back. If this seam wasn’t right in the middle of the island I definitely wouldn’t be nearly as concerned but since it is there aren’t a lot of items like toaster, coffee maker etc that I can use on the island to hide it. Per MSI, that is Glacier Wave, but after seeing several other bundles of Glacier Wave I’m learning that this color has a ton of variation.

It looks like they did a nice enough job with the seam, but the colors not matching would make me crazy. I hope you can find a solution.

Not to throw in another issue, and I could very well be wrong, but your counters look like quartz, not quartzite. So I think you might be dealing with two different lots of a manmade material (quartz), not variation of a natural material (quartzite).

arch13 is correct. This is apparently engineered stone which brings me to my point:

"When we went to the fabricator’s business to do the layout our slabs were standing outside (2 in the sun, 1 in the shade)."

Estone cannot be stored outside in direct sunlight. The resin is subject to UV light degradation which explains perfectly why the seamed slabs are so different. The fabricator broke the manufacturer's storage specifications.

I am a fabricator. you are not too picky. If it is engineered stone (I agree it looks like it is) and a slab was stored outside face out that would explain the color difference. Even a week or two exposed to the sun will change the color on an engineered stone slab. However, it could also just be a slab from a different lot from the manufacturer.

If it's actually quartzite it's unfortunate but certainly possible. I've had customers insist that color didn't match when the 2 pieces came from the same slab. Sometimes the only way around that problem is more material which is costly.

I think your fabricator is stepping up by offering a replacement. Personally I would go towards a replacement. Since you have a functional kitchen a replacement isn't urgent. Sooner or later your fabricator will be able to get replacement slabs that match or maybe even a single slab that matches one of the existing island pieces. The replacement could be done in a single day minimizing the impact on you. Good luck.

Interesting that when many of these stone/slab issues show up on the forums, they seem to involve MSI ...

Your countertop does not look anything like the the photo of Glacier Wave shown on MSI’s website nor does it match their description of Glacier Wave.

This is what the website says about it: “Our Glacier Wave Quartzite countertops feature a soft dove gray with hints of tone-on-tone waves for a dramatic effect”

and this is a screen shot of their picture of Glacier White

It appears that you got a completely different stone/product.

Agree with Chispa. Whenever I’ve dealt with MSI - for any of their products, not just slabs - it’s always been a hot mess. I would run, not walk, away from MSI.

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. This is definitely quartzite (if it’s not, then it’s the most natural looking quartz I’ve ever seen after months of research). And yes, the Glacier Gray on the website looks nothing like this but this color has so much variation as I’ve learned from looking at several other bundles of “glacier gray”. Because we can’t find a good match is why the issue has dragged on for months and why we’re considering a completely different color all together which unfortunately would mean redoing all the surround countertops too. Here is another picture showing more of the island, maybe you can see more of the natural elements with this. As for the direction of the veining, I hear you as that was another one of my concerns before it was cut but I wasn’t sure which way would look best with our odd L shaped island, but they assured me they would review it before it was cut and consider that aspect as well. Anyway, just wondered if this problem is something that should have been avoided or if this is just a risk you have to take with natural stone.

No way is that Glacier Wave quartzite from MSI. It's engineered stone. Estone isn't as shiny as natural stone. Those reflections would be screaming if this were the real thing. Bet I could find a resin pool or two if I were there.

Amy, please pull a drawer or two and look underneath for printing or a logo. If so, game over.

My question isn’t really if this is quartzite or not, my question is if this fabrication job is acceptable or not regardless if it’s quartzite or Estone. With that said, it is quartzite. Here’s a pic of the entire slab. And you cannot simply take out a drawer and look at the bottom of the slab as there is a sub-top.

That's natural stone. It has bedding and all kinds of other geologic textures. If e-stone could do this, they'd be over the moon, but they can't.

Beautiful stone! And the 1st thing everyone will say as they run their fingers across it is " you have 2 different colors"...

This looks like my quartzite which was called Giotto I think. It is beautiful other than the infamous staining that has appeared on the edges and around the sinks.

with an island in this shape..how could this have been better templated to avoid the OPs problem?

my quartzite..

I am a fabricator. "how could this have been better templated to avoid the OPs problem?" There is technology available to fabricators that allows him to photograph the slabs for the job and then overlay the CAD outlines of the parts on the slabs. (Slabsmith - A First Look - YouTube) The individual pieces can be moved around and an image of the entire layout changes as the individual parts are moved. This allows the end user to see how the grain flows on the parts AND what the grain transitions look like at the seams. It is just prudent for the fabricator to use this technology when the job has expensive stone with a lot of movement. It helps a lot when the end user is involved in the layout decision making as there are inevitable compromises and having the customer involved mostly prevents a dissatisfied customer. Unfortunately some customers feel like they have the option of complaining even when they pre-approve everything or agree to let the fabricator make the decisions. I hate when that happens.

I don't find a problem with the veining matching up, it's the background color of the whole slab that doesn't follow after the seam.

The veining matchup looks great. The color differential is noticeable. I would take him up on the replacement.

ILovered, we are looking at a similar quartzite. Beautiful. Do you know why is it staining around your sink and edges? Was it not sealed appropriately? Ours is called Lake Garde but looks like Florida Wave Quartzite.

"Do you know why is it staining around your sink and edges?"

Because someone did not test the stone's porosity. Porosity affects the stone's suitablity as countertop material.

"Was it not sealed appropriately?"

I'm skeptical of using sealers to stop edge bleeding. It's just one bloody quartzite story after another here. It happens again and again and again and no one cares because they're in love. At the slab yard. Then you get married and he shows his true colors.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC Why wouldn’t sealing help edge staining? Isn’t the purpose of sealers to essentially fill the pores on the stone and prevent moisture from seeping in? What is different in these cases that you feel the sealers don’t work on edge staining?

Would like to know how this was handled. We are having the same exact issue right now

Your expectations weren't properly set by your fabricator.

How clear does it need to be that someone doesn’t want 2 separate color counter tops. I would have specifically ordered two different colored slabs if that was the case.

It's all about "natural" with stone until nature shows her true colors. You want consistency and inconspicuous seams? Get Corian. Those problems were solved 50 years ago.

Well I am curious why the fabricator would not consult me on the difference of color? Are you a contractor? If so, what would you do in this position for your client ?

What type of construction, custom or tract/developer? Did you not select or at least see your slab?

"Well I am curious why the fabricator would not consult me on the difference of color? Are you a contractor? If so, what would you do in this position for your client ?"

As I mentioned earlier, your fabricator's biggest mistake was not properly setting your expectations. I am a contractor with several decades experience in the countertop industry. I would never have put myself in such a position with a client. I remain dumbfounded at the crap the natural stone industry gets away with and the decades-long excusemaking for them by customers who have fallen in love with a particular stone, no matter its suitability as a countertop. I don't know how these guys sleep at night.