No Raimondi - the installers sealed it at install. I am very careful re: cleaning - water and very gentle soap. No cleaners / no heat put directly on it. Could you elaborate on Tenax Agar - does it darken the color by any chance ? TY.

I don't know what that stuff is, but I've seen problems with the color changing previously. Probably going to have to replace.

That's what I think needs to be done. Can you tell me if you have seen color changing with the Leathered Black Pearl specifically - or granite in general ? Any thoughts on how difficult it is to get stone companies to do replace / take responsibility for this situation ? Thanks very much

a penetrating sealer will alter the color.

do you have a piece leftover from fabrication (from YOUR slab) ? other slabs will always look diff.

That one you have in the picture is from your own slab after cutting? and prior to sealing?

Or was it just a sample from another job they gave you?

This is black pearl. uba tuba has more green in it

It bright sunlight you're going to see more of the colors. when the sun doesn't hit it, does it look more like this one?

Since you can visibly see it changing, see what the company manager has to say. Maybe the sealer they put on it has done something.

Or maybe you have a diff type of granite.

I'm surprised they sealed it. Black Pearl is very dense and doesn't need sealing.

AB granite doesn't need sealing. Black pearl still does. Sealer will actually sit on top of AB. If a sealer actually penetrates the stone, then it's not that dense.

what they don't want is a topical sealer.

Sorry Beth but I disagree. Black Pearl granite is very dense.

vinmarks and Beth H. - Ty both for your comments. The sample that I have was with the slabs of the Leathered Black Pearl / from the same lot. That's how they had the samples organized. There were three slabs and I reserved one. All looked the same / all looked black / no brown or white. They were outside and I saw them several times - so def. would have noticed it. Looked just like the sample that I still have. Also chose another stone for an island and I was adamant with the salesperson that that I didn't want anything with a brown tone, tinge or marks in it - as she had shown me a brown swirled granite as a possibility. Was very clear about wanting the LBP as it was black and I loved the texture. When first installed - they looked fine. However, not so long after they seemed to be changing color slightly. I am a painter and do have a fairly keen eye for color. Anyhow, months later - they have very clearly changed - and believe that they stiil are. I have read about some stone companies dying the stone and strongly suspect that may be the case. The counters do look black from a distance - but once you get close you see the various browns and whites. In the sunlight it is brutal - so brown and I just absolutely hate it as it is nothing that I would ever pick. I wanted something different from the usual kitchen look - not a fan of the look of polished granite and sort of a nod to soapstone. This is not what i understood to be getting and, at the end of the day, the sample that matched the slab that I bought is absolutely different from what I unfortunately have in my kitchen right now. Thank you both

I was just going to mention the dye.

do you have some acetone? not sure if it will work on the sealed portion. try an unsealed piece of the stone. clean white rag and acetone. wipe it across the surface. Do you see black? then it was dyed.

(I'd also videotape this so you can show the manager. (if it works) If it comes up clean, then I'd still have a talk w/him. maybe the leathering process uncovered more of the brown aggregate in the stone.)

This is a new one on me.

Vin, no doubt it's dense. But AB is so dense that sealer won't even penetrate it. It just sits on top. I'm not sure if it's the same w/BP. if her sealer was absorbed, then you have your answer, but you'd have to verify w/the OP for that one.

dawghead, on the unsealed sample piece, what happens to water if you let it sit on top for 5-10 mins? does it sit? absorb? does the stone look darker?

was an impregnating sealer used on the countertop? do you know which one? did it actually absorb or was it a topical sealer?