We have quartz in our vacation home. We did not select it, builder had it installed before we purchased the home. While it’s easy to clean, you do have to be careful about putting hot pots / pans directly on the countertop. I would prefer to have a natural stone, especially TJ, over quartz any day.

No issues with Quartz here..one tiny chip next to the sink-probably something heavy fell, family is kinda rough on things.

I think it depends on overall vision for a kitchen ..I wanted a very bold backsplash(turned to be cost prohibitive), so I wanted a countertop surface to be a quiet background to it. No veins, speckles, etc. Actually really wanted butcherblock but was convinced otherwise. So Quartz it was. Not my first choice but supportive of the big picture.

If I'd want my countertops to be "a star" though, and could swing stone X , budget wise-I'd chose Quartzite, hand down..natural stones can be incomparable in their beauty, and Quartzite is one of the toughest of them all. I predict it won't date anything..rather material that imitate someting, will look dated sooner than later.

I have (probably) marble in our master bath where I have no backsplash to worry about..it took me a long time to find it and was a remnant..it's beautiful, albeit it develops patina of course. It's not white though.

In short I'd decide on the big picture, and go from there. It's a rare kitchen that one can't tell when it was installed, so I'd pay less attention to that.

Have you looked at Luce di Luna quartzite? It's more white than your pic of the Taj Mahal. We're currently redoing our kitchen and I had the same thought process as you did. Ultimately I've decided on natural stone -- quartzite -- over quartz for its timelessness. If I remember correctly, you're kinda near me west of Austin. Are you looking at AG&M? I like that you can see their actual inventory on their website: https://www.agmgranite.com/inventory-detail/?pn=Luce%20Di%20Luna%201st%20Choice%203cm&pi=https%3A%2F%2Fproduction88files.stoneprofits.com%2Ffiles%2Fasg%2F314067_21298_C.jpg&pm=Quartzite&pl=N%2FA&ps=123%26quot%3B%20X%2074%26quot%3B&pq=1&pc=White%20&pln=860014540&pbl=C&invp=1&pg= 

Edited to add: I absolutely love that quartzite slab that you have, just thought you were looking for something more white/gray. You might also look into a honed or leathered finish. I'm going honed for a more matte, modern look.

I would choose the Taj in a heartbeat. I don't have quartz counters myself but I have worked on them in vacation and other people's homes, and I just don't like the look or performance. Too plasticky, not heat resistant, etc.

As an aside, I don't think the Taj is any more likely to "date" your kitchen than the quartz, and maybe even less so. The white on grey on white trend seems to be nearly done, with warmer woods coming back into vogue. So, choose what you like and what performs best for you.

I love the Taj that leans creamy. Lately the choices are more gray, but that is what you want.

I have Silestone Quartz, going on two years. No issues. I dropped a stoneware bowl and it sparked! But, not damage.

I have quartz everywhere in my house, kitchen, bar, laundry room, and all of my bathrooms. No issues at all, but that said we did toy with the idea of Taj quartzite (it just didn’t work color wise) and a friend has it and it’s gorgeous and pretty indestructible. So if it works and you love it I say go for it.

stiley- That Luce di Luna quartzite is beautiful. I like that it has thinner lines than the white macubus. I'm in Houston though. I do like the Taj Majal- I wish I could find it more cream & grey than brown. I'll keep hunting. I really don't have a vision- although I do have a ton of inspiration photos saved down. I really could go either way. So I'll just visit more yards and wait until I see something that is "the one". So far I've seen "looks good or yep that's ok" but nothing that I'm like in love with. If there are any other quartzites that are lighter and have greys/whites/creams let me know!

Thank you all for your comments on your quartz durability.

I'm in the middle of researching countertops. What's always on the back of my mind when I look at quartz or granite or marble or slate or soapstone is that my parents still have their 1980s laminate countertops, installed in their "luxury" kitchen for the mid 80s at a time when the only real alternative was wood or tile, and it still looks spotless. No scratches, no dents, no marks, nothing, nada, zip, despite intense use in the last 40 years, children, dogs and all that. It's clean, pale beige in color, totally inoffensive and perfectly fine.

Asking yourself whether it's worth having quartzite or quartz over something cheaper is like asking whether a Mercedes is worth it over a Toyota. The value of spending the extra money is entirely up to you and only you can answer that question.

I agree with Tom S above, as much as I wanted stone counters, I came to the decision, my laminate is just fine and since we are hoping to be in our house for a long time, just didn't feel like it was worth the money for us.

If you are going to be in your home for a length of time, go with the quartzite. I have honed TM in my kitchen on white cabinets, not stark white, and on my island that is a grey-brown in color. I love it and don't have to do anything to maintain it. I put hot pans on it and cut on it too.

@TxMomma if you don’t mind me asking, what is the name of the quartz in your 3rd picture?

Its from Arizona Tile

TxMomma what did you decide?

I love my quartz countertops. I do put down pads for hot items. But since I use a lot of acidic food in cooking, I am glad not to have gone with granite.