Close up of the blob

Wow. Love it. This is probably my favorite stone and this is a super neat example of it, in my opinion. I like the blurry area. I like it all!

It reminds me of the sky just before a big thunderstorm! I love it and now want to take a nap.

The stone importers in my area offer leathering as an upcharge for the slabs, which generally arrive polished. The fabricator has to have special tools to do the edge profile in a leathered finish.

I ADORE leathered, but I ruled it out when I took a multicoloured sample of leathered granite. A small wine puddle left there for 20 min left a stain that I could not scrub off with a brush and dish soap. That's not for me. I may be able to live with our family's "patina", but I doubt that would be an asset for resale, which we have to consider as we are outgrowing our home.

I would assume that leathered quartzite would be more vulnerable to stains as well.

Karin and Iowa- I like the cloudy area too. And Iowa you are right it does look like a thunderstorm is coming.

Feisty- oh no please don't tell me that. I thought it being quartzite it would have the same characteristics as a polished slab.

Do you know if a honed finish would stain? Anybody here have any other kind of finish besides polished in a quartzite?

Let us know what you find out! Love the quartzites, love the honed and leathered finishes. Always thought though, that it would stain more?

I love it! It is such a gorgeous slab. Love the "cloud".

Love the cloud. Actually, that's by far my favorite part of the slab. I'd put that somewhere really prominent, if it were my kitchen.

As for leathering and stains...we have leathered granite, not quartzite...but when I brought our sample corner home to torture test it, there were no staining issues with our stone - I believe that I did ketchup, mustard, and a few other things. Honestly, I don't think that I used any wine on it as I consider wasting it that way as being "alcohol abuse". ;-)

I am not an expert by any stretch, but it seems to me that if a penetrating sealer is used, the stone should have the same level of stain resistance no matter if it's polished or leathered. But, again, I'm not an expert.

I'd say to try to get a piece of it and do your own tests to see how it holds up.

Is this slab going to be an island? I love it!

Lesmobo- I got a sample piece and had no issues with it on the polish side. I tested the backside where it has a duller surface kinda of similar to honed since there were no samples of the leathered. I put soy sauce on it and it stained it. I'm going to get another sample piece and try doing the same tests but this time I will try sealing it. Hopefully sealing it will make it more resistant.

Andreak100- I agree with sealer. Hopefully that will make it resistant since I really like the leathered look.

Strayer- Yes, it is going on an island.

Beautiful slab! We are considering the same quartzite and finish. I'm curious: Did you end up going with the leathered White Macaubas? Did you have to miter/build up the edges in order to have the leathered finish on the edges as well? Or is there a way to get the leathered finish on the edges without having to build it up/miter it? How is the maintenance of the leathered White Macaubas?