I though it was untreated brass. That, like copper, will oxidize and it looks like the water is carrying the color to the stone. I would try the poultice srosen suggests. Otherwise, if it gets to the point where you are removing the faucet and sprayer I would replace them with nickel or chrome which won't have the same issue. Put the original faucet/sprayer on ebay -- they must be beautiful and with a different counter material no problem. I know, it would not be the same but it eliminates the issue. Your marble looks to be similar to mine -- very crystalline. Our was gorgeous, love it, but there always was something. The Akemi will help with liquids but will need resealing about every 3 months. You can see when it starts to wear a bit. Or you could try the 511 Porous Plus product that folks used here a few years back. This site has a lot of products and when I called I got the owner who told me how to deal with various stone issues. I had water stains on dark limestone in our shower and he explained how to restore it myself. It worked and it's been great since. If you know the name of your marble, you might try to catch him and ask which sealer he recommends for the type of marble you have. He does restorations and steered me to the Akemi originally. He may still like that or not. Here is a link that might be useful: Tri Point Pro

I also had new (light colored) granite installed in mid December. About three weeks after the install, we began to notice the green. After much time and effort researching the problem we found out we have green bloom. Our green bloom is around where the fabricator cut out the sink, faucet and soap dispenser. We have had both the stone distributor and the fabricator out to see the problem. Stone distributor confirms it is not a stone problem (no minerals in our stone which would cause green discoloration)! Fabricator insists he didn't do anything to the stone during fabrication that would cause the green! He assured us he does not use the products that cause the green bloom?????? We contacted the Granite and Marble Institute and they confirmed for us that our problem was caused by products used during fabrication. After all the discussions and denials we have decided to try to resolve the problem ourselves using a (recommended) product called Mangia Macchia. The last thing we want is to replace our granite (spending more $$$$ or suing someone and then dealing with the mess of replacement and the problem of finding granite we like again). As we move forward trying to remove the green bloom, it is our understanding that the product needs to be applied multiple times before you see results. We began the first treatment yesterday. We took before and after pictures so we can document the results of what the product does to the green bloom and our sealed granite! If Mangia Macchia does not work we have a bigger problem since our fabricator refuses to admit they are at fault! I will keep you posted as to our progress resolving our horrible green bloom problem. Hopefully, this posting will help others who have experience the same problem and have been told by their fabricator and distributor they never heard of or have seen this situation before!!!!!

There is only one function of an impregnating sealer for stone . “To temporarily inhibit the intrusion of staining agents into the surface of the stone” As far as stonetech bulletproof goes I think it is a water based sealer that uses a flouropolymer which provides oleophobic and hydrophobic resistance. Look at the MSDS sheet to see the contents. This sealer only contains from 1-5% resins. Pretty standard, not bad but will require multipl applications on a porous surface. Three apples-Do a water test by placing a palm sized puddle of water(or 2) on the surface of your stone. Let it sit there for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe away with a paper towel and see if a dark mark is there. If there is a dark mark observe how long it takes to evaporate. Just as a baseline to gauge how porous the stone is. Use the stonetech bulletproof to do another application. Do your top in sections one at a time,apply the sealer onto the surface and keep it wet for 10-15 minutes. Don't let it dry on the surface. AFTER THE PRESCRIBED TIME REMOVE ALL TRACES OF THE SEALER THAT IS ON THE SURFACE. This is very important as you want the sealer to penetrate the surface not stay on top. When you are sure you have properly applied and removed the sealer from the first section then repeat the process on entire surface. Wait 24 -36 hours and do the water test again. You should see better resistance now. If it is still absorbing do another application and test again. While I agree with old ryder that one should consider a sealer as a temporary protection from staining using quality sealers and proper applications will provide better results. I think even though this is a professional task a homeowner is more suited to do a better job. The fact is a contractor would have a tough time coming back multiple times to seal porous stones for many reasons. As far as that test that Natco did I wonder about the credibility. They never mentioned what stones they sealed and how porous they were. They never clarified which types such as granite marble, limestone etc. They state all natural stones should be sealed. Never heard of roofing quality slate being sealed. The average life of a slate roof is over 100 years with out any sealer. There are many stones that are quite dense and may not require sealers. Just like the many folks on this forum who have never had a true stain on their stone. They also never stated what their application process was. There is no cookie cutter application as each stone will have its own character. Natco suggests that a good sealer can delay the etching of an acid sensitive stone giving you enough time to wipe it up. That may be incorrect as sealers live below the surface and can etch themselves when they are left on the surface.The surface is exposed to acid attack and depending on the stone or acidic substance etching can happen quickly. Anyone who has marble or its cousins in their kitchen will agree. While I agree a quality brand name is probably better to use than a generic sealer. I always say it isn't so much about the sealer as it is about the application process.

That's not the way renting works. When you own your home, you can redecorate, repaint, reconfigure, and renovate to your heart's (and wallet's!) content. As a renting tenant, you have certain legal rights, including rights to peaceful enjoyment of a healthful environment. However, I don't know of any city where a tenant's legal rights include decor which matches the tenant's furniture. I'm a landlord. I'm pretty easy to get along with, but if that were my house and you were my prospective tenant, I'd respectfully and politely suggest that you should look for a different place to live. I'm amending this to say that I didn't mean that to sound quite as callous as it does now that I reread it. I might tend to such reactions because I've had tenants do truly amazing things to my rentals. One drilled a hole through the wall between the garage and the kitchen, and spliced his welder into the electric range receptacle. Another Sharpie-scrawled a bizarre message to a former boyfriend or girlfriend on a wall. I could go on for pages. So can every other landlord, I'm sure. You can't make this stuff up. So I think it's good that you're asking whether your idea might cause permanent damage (which there's a pretty solid chance that it will). How about this. Maybe you can find a nice folding screen at Ikea or one of the import stores, and set that up in front of the fireplace. You could even commission an artistic friend to paint an attractive scene on the screen, in colors that work with your furniture.