This topic has been covered many many times. Your best bet is to go to some slab yards and see what there is. Bring along a sample of your cabinets to see how well they match. Also read up on the differences between granite, quartzite, and marble. Granite is a catch-all for many different stones that have similar properties - mainly, won't scratch or etch, heat-resistant, fairly stain resistant, can be sealed to prevent staining. Quartzite is similar to granite in terms of those features that make it suitable for kitchens, but is usually more expensive than granite and harder to fabricate. Be aware that many places label things wrong, and sell marble as granite or quartzite - especially the ones that look a lot like marble (princess white and super white come to mind). Read karin_mt's great primer on how to tell what kind of rock a slab really is (search for scratch test and karin_mt). For the most part, if it looks like marble, it probably is.

All these comments are exceedingly helpful, and I am going to copy and paste all of them into a Word document to save this entire thread. I would never have known to check the warranties for the pooling policies, for example. In fact, didn't even know about pooling until yesterday. It was amazing to read from emilynewhome in SW LA that she used Lowes and that a fabricator from TX was used. I live in TX and was about to think I was at the end of the earth in my small Central TX town in terms of finding anyone to fabricate. But I might just go talk to the people from Lowes and see what they say. I do like Zodiaq a lot and had found some samples I liked. That is fascinating, too, about Cambria being made in the US. I have found a dealer in a nearby town who handles Cambria; that is appealing to me, as well as to Sara the Brit! Now to go check out Cambria's colors. And I can hardly wait to see emilynewhome's pictures, when she gets hers installed!

Cambria IS the only quartz countertop made in the USA. Zodiaq (DuPont) is made in Canada. Silestone is made in Spain. Ceasarstone is made in Israel. Silestone� (Made in Spain) Made in Spain by Cosentino, it claims that this it's technology is over 15 years old, making it the old player in the field of quartz stone surfaces. The makers of Silestone promoted it as a classic or contemporary, inner-city chic or colonial charm in their product. Silestone is another brand if engineered stone which is technically similar to the other brands because it is comprised of approximately 93% quartz and 7% epoxy binders. As with all other quartz stone surfaces, Silestone is scratch resistant, stain resistant, amd heat resistant. Silestone has a color range of over 40 Colors. Silestone claims to have received the best possible score for stain resistance from the CSIRO. It also has a 10 year limited warranty. A unique feature is Silestone is the Microban technology that is intergraded on the product. Microban claims to continuously fights the growth of microbes that can cause stains and odors and Microban protection makes your Silestone countertops easier to clean and keeps them cleaner between cleanings. The promotion of Microban antimicrobial protection is that it is effective against most common bacteria, yeasts, molds and fungi that cause stains and odors. Microban technology is not designed to protect users from disease-causing microorganisms. Zodiaq� (Made in Canada) From the maker of Corian, comes Zodiaq�. DuPontTM Zodiaq� claims to have produced an advanced composite material made of 93% quartz with a DuPont proprietary binding polymer and pigments. If anyone has the money for R&D, DuPont does. Their stated goal was to create a new material with its own depth and character and a unique aesthetic, suggesting a sense of enlightened luxury and an attitude of bold sophistication. Zodiaq� covers the gamut with alternative to the polished finish and a collection of matt finish colors in neutral tones. Just like the other quartz stone and otherwise known as engineered stone brands, Zodiaq� has a very sophisticated technology. When you think of Zodiaq�, most people do not know that it is made by one of the largest and most sophisticated countertop maker in the world. Cambria� (Made in USA) Perhaps the smallest player in the market is Cambria quartz stone surfaces which is American owned and operated by the Davis Family. This company has gone from manufacturing cheese for over 60 years to luxury quartz stone product and their website claims this is a natural fit. Regardless of their smaller marketing approach, Cambria does offer some unique colors that the other bigger brand do not. Their color choices are worth looking and the pricing is competitive with the other brands. As with all the other brand names, Cambria quartz stone surfaces are also comprised of approximately 93% quartz and claim the same low maintenance advantages. CaesarStone� (Made in Israel) CaesarStone� it is made of approximately 93% quartz by weight. The other 7% is epoxy resin which is required to hold the quartz together. Quartz is one of the hardest minerals and is calculated at a hardness level of 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. CaesarStone� is manufactured in Israel. The company proclaims to be the originator of quartz kitchen and bath countertops, and claims to have advantages over other surfaces. Benefits include less chipping, cracking or discoloring and a less porous surface that does not require sealing. Many installation professionals dispute Caesarstone's claims that it does not allow bacteria growth and cleans with just a moist cloth. It is promoted to resist damage from heat and acids such as caustic wine spills and knife scratches. These claims are also questionable. The colors that CaesarStone� offers are different than other brand names listed below and are perhaps more popular because of this characteristic. Honed finishes and marble-like textures are a couple features. CaesarStone� offers a 10 year limited warranty, when installed by a Certified Fabricator. Read the limited warranty carefully as it is very 'limited'. Hth

We have polished Organic White countertops. We also get subtle metal marks that won't come out. These counters are just a few months old. No one else would notice it, but I certainly do. I would recommend getting a sample of the quartz you are considering and testing it yourself. Maybe we're just unlucky? Although, the number of websites that say "quartz doesn't stain" seem to be equalled by the number of websites that say "here's how to get stains out of your quartz". We haven't tried Magic Eraser and it is somewhat discouraged since it is abrasive, but we may try that next.