I had heard this was coming out in June, 2014. I have yet to see it in person, but just had my countertops installed a few weeks ago and selected Pental Quartz - "Polished Carrara". I too was looking forever to find a marble look that didn't require all the maintenance as does natural stone Carrara Marble. I love my countertops - the veining is more subtle than your posted pic, but they are gorgeous. Good luck.

I'm wondering, also, when the new Caesarstone colors will be available. About a month ago, I inadvertently surfed onto Caesarstone's Australian website and saw about eight new colors (that is, colours, in Australia) on the horizon. I don't know if we will get all these in the U.S. I don't think they market the thinner (13mm) slabs in the U.S.

Calacatta Nuvo, 20mm ($$$$)
Alpine Mist, cool grey with white veins, 20mm ($$$$)
Sleek Concrete - grey, modern, industrial look, 20mm $$
Clamshell - soft grey and white, 20mm $$
Summer Rye - light brown with white veins, in 20mm $$
Biano Drift - light granite-like with veining, in 20mm $$$$
Vanilla Noir - black with white veins, in 20mm
Motivo Crocodile Snow - textured surface in 13mm, for wall panels only

The light Caesarstones do stain. I understand that something like Softscrub with bleach will take care of it, most of the time. I guess the resin is vulnerable? Don't know, but I've been reading a bunch of Caesarstone threads and this has been a common complaint with the whites.

Huh, the pics on the Australian site don't look anything like your picture.

This post was edited by alex9179 on Fri, Jun 13, 14 at 10:02

I have a cream colored quartz. It has the same resin as the whites. It's had everything thrown at it in the past two years and nothing stains it. Curious what stain was impossible to remove completely with Soft Scrub with Bleach. Link?

BTW, quartz manufacturers only recommend removing stains with SS with B. No straight bleach and no abrasives.

A little bit of Dawn dish soap has removed everything from our light quartz. Even after a very unfortunate Sharpie incident.

It is pretty but the ceastone pics are not nearly as realistic as the pic above. It looks nice though but to me, a marble owner, it looks fake on the website but your picture looks like real marble but I have a feeling IRL it looks like the website's image for I find they are unable to capture the true beauty of stone and most likely never will. I think quartz has many wonderful attributes but it should not be chosen solely to mimc something it can never be.

Here is a link that might be useful: website's pic

I have WHITE Ceasarstone, take no particular care with my counters, and it doesn't have a single spot on it.

I agree with roarah. I'm a big fan of quartz, but not of the type that is meant to mimic natural stone. I feel that about the fake marble quartz, and also the stuff that is meant to mimic the "movement" of a granite. To me, quartz is best in colors with less variation, and used in contexts where a lack of variability is a design asset.

Perhaps a light solid gray quartz would be a better choice than an imitation marble. Unless you actually fall in love with one of the quartz materials in person. I do think that you should view some of the quartz slabs in person before committing to anything.

I figured out why your image does not match the website's. the pic above is of 180x laminate not caesarstone. It is a more realistc look but than the feel of stone is missing so one offers the realistic look and the other only offers the realistic feel but neither is a perfect copy:(.

Here is a link that might be useful: top photo source is laminate

As a proud owner of -gasp- Corian Rain Cloud, I would say that nothing but marble looks like marble. So you have to pick a non-marble because you like IT and the way IT looks in your kitchen, not because you want it to look like marble.

Barb4288 - any chance of some photos? Pretty please? :) I am strongly considering Pental Polished Carrara vs Lattice.

Thank you!

Chloe, the picture you like is laminate not caesarstone Do you like the look of the product on the caesarstone site? It is blurry and dotty in the website pics.You may wish to see the 180x laminate that is shown in your inspration picture above in addition to ordering a quartz sample.

that to me looks too fake

Fake what? It's not trying to look like something it isn't, which is what others are saying. It's fine if you like a counter that isn't marble but has a marble look, but note what roarah said -- the picture is of a laminate not Ceasarstone.

Rebecca3142 - here is a photo of my kitchen (pre BS and crown moulding) with the "polished carrara" quartz. It's really a white background overall with a slight hue toward light grey. It works perfect for my kitchen design which is taupe cabinets, SS appliances and satin nickel hardware.

Rebecca3142 - here is a photo of my kitchen (pre BS and crown moulding) with the "polished carrara" quartz. It's really a white background overall with a slight hue toward light grey. It works perfect for my kitchen design which is taupe cabinets, SS appliances and satin nickel hardware.

{{!gwi}}

As for problems, I just googled for info about quartz (google "gardenweb caesarstone staining" for relevant threads here) and I found a bunch of happy people and a fair amount of unhappy people. The fact remains that stains and chips can happen, even etching has occurred.

A few years ago there was an issue with counterfeit Caesarstone. That could be one source for the complaints.

Make sure you pick out the slab and pay special attention to any resin pooling or blotchy marks. A few years ago an Eggshell customer had yellow drops, that didn't look pretty, across her slabs. She thought it would be a consistent color and was very disappointed.

It's a beautiful product and I'm considering it for our bath vanity. Nothing is bullet-proof and I like knowing what could happen rather than be surprised.

Thank you Barb! Your kitchen is looking beautiful!!!

And good luck to all of us who love marble, but just can't handle it. Finding a good substitute is difficult.

LWO, what's wrong with imitation marble?

This is an "honest question" (not a "challenge") and I would really like to hear your opinion.

I liked those huge marble-like ceramic slabs when I first saw them on a picture. Interestingly, I am getting tired of them already (just by seeing so many on Houzz).

I still think they are quite beautiful but I am afraid they are getting overused - almost like golden oak. :-P

I think the main point was that you should definitely see these imitations in person. I have definitely had the experience of being impressed with photos only to be disappointed with the actual product. Many of these imitations are more expensive than the real thing too.

There is nothing "wrong" with them! As long as you don't expect them to be a "substitute" for marble. They cannot be, as they cannot achieve the real depth that marble's crystalline structure gives it. The problem arises when you expect one thing to be another. Quartz will never be marble. And marble will never be quartz. You have to judge the pros and cons for yourself as to which surface appeals to you. And accept the limitations that your choice might have. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to wish that one thing were the other, or a combo of only the best traits of each.

Barb4288, I am wondering how you like the Pental Quartz polished Carrara countertops several months after installation? I am looking to install that in my kitchen after seeing a recent sample, as I'm looking for something very light gray and pretty plain, as far as movement/veining goes. Wondering how they have held up? Thanks!

mimimiller - I absolutely LOVE my countertops. There really isn't anything to "hold up" - since they are quartz and not marble or granite, there are no worries. We have slopped many things including red wine, tomato sauces, etc., and clean up is a breeze. I use denatured alcohol with water - just spritz it on and wipe it off. For any greasy mars, I just take a bit of Dawn detergent and VOILA - back to perfect. We selected polished Carrara because we wanted mostly white but our color tones in both cabinets and hardwood floors are very grey/taupe - definitely cool and not warm undertones (see photo above). I set 3" x 6" actual carrara marble tile for the backsplash, and it looks fabulous together. The quartz has such a subtle movement of grey veining, which I love, that it does not compete with the backsplash (or vice versa). I found the white granites just too much movement and color for my taste. Certainly, marble is gorgeous but then you have all the care and maintenance issues. I just didn't want to always be worried that I was going to have some spill or a guest causing a spill - it would just drive me crazy to always be on edge. This quartz has proven to be the perfect solution for us, and I'm a huge lover of natural stone and specifically Carrara marble. I found both Caesarstone and Silestone to look much more imitation than the Pental Quartz that I selected. Not to say that is a bad thing - just not my taste. I love my choice because I love IT. Good luck to you !!! Barb

Barb,
I'm so glad you posted as I'm strongly considering the Pental Carrera or Lattice. Great to read that it's holding up well and you love it!
Any chance you could post another picture or two of the counter close up? There is so little info on it out there that I'm dying to see some real life applications!

AineLane -

The overall appearance of this Quartz is White, but it does have a greyish hue to it. It is definitely a cool tone and not warm. When the installers were preparing the epoxy for the seams, they needed to tone down the white color with some grey to custom blend the correct tone. However, when you look close, as in this new posting, you can see the very subtle grey veining. I was looking for subtle and mostly white so that is why it worked so great for me.

Dear Barb,

Thank you so much for your very thoughtful, quick, and detailed reply - your feedback helps so much, and I really appreciate it! I have to make a decision very soon, and had long ago thought I'd settled on C.stone Frosty Carrina or London Grey for our kitchen, as they were the only full slabs I could ever see in person. However, the estimates came in way over our budget for what is going to be a fully remodeled, but still small, cottage kitchen. The fabricator mentioned Pental as another brand that is more affordable than C. Stone, at least in our region. I only have a small sample of the Carrara to go by, but think it's beautiful! Like you, I'm not really trying to find the perfect marble imitation...our kitchen colors are just going to be very light and neutral, so it turns out the more subtle quartz options work better for us. I'm so glad to hear you love your counters and that they have held up beautifully. I am also considering Quantra "Botticino" for our bathroom and am hoping that is a good choice as well. Thanks again - your counter looks gorgeous, too! Mimi

Hi Mimi-
Thank you. I will just add that we had also considered the Caesarstone choices and Botticino, as well as some Silestone options. And, although they were favorites, I ultimately found slight negatives to those in comparison to the Pental Polished Carrara that we selected. In my area, Pental was more reasonably priced too. I highly recommend Pental for all these reasons and know you will just love it. Best to you and much inspiration for continuing home design. Barb

I was originally going to use Caesarstone London Grey, but I decided on Pental Cararra for my island. I am not living in the space yet, but the slab is beautiful. I also paired it with a cararra marble subway tile backsplash and they go together beautifully since the pattern is muted on the countertop. I can't attest to the longevity, but I am so happy with how it looks and the price was definitely better.

Rebecca3142, please post photos! I love the pictures on their website of the Pental Cararra.

Sorry, I don't have a great picture of the island. I don't live in the house yet. Here is what it looked like last week. Next time I visit I will get a better picture.

Rebecca3142, I love your backsplash! I love your wall color. Your kitchen is looking so nice and I can't wait to see more.

we are visiting a stone yard this weekend. what are the marble look-alikes we should check out? so far i have:
caesarstone- london fog, frosty carrina, classic calacatta
silestone- lira, lagoon
zodiaq- coarse carrara
neolith
pental- polished carrara

any i'm missing?

also, regarding the laminate, are they like the old school formica countertops susceptible to staining & scratching?

Thanks again, Barb, for your helpful comments! Rebecca, that is great to hear that you also chose the Pental Carrara - and your kitchen is beautiful! I doubt I will be able to see a Pental Carrara slab until fabrication, but I think that's the way we're going....I also had thought our countertops were going to be the C. Stone London Grey, but I think the Pental sample is just as attractive. AGK, I would also suggest you look at Cambria Torquay, which is a carrara looking quartz. It is very nice looking. Some love it and others don't like the look as much, due to tiny "dots" within the pattern. I personally preferred the C.Stone samples for that reason, but photos I've seen of Torquay counters are lovely. I also considered neolith, but couldn't find fabrication info about it in my area - I've heard it makes a great counter.

rebecca3142, I already told you this but it bears repeating: your backsplash is gorgeous! Your kitchen is really coming together nicely.

Ok, I was finally in the house today. It is really hard to take pictures of a light counter, especially with no light fixtures.

One more view

Barb4288 -
I somehow missed your post above with the close up pic. Thank you so much for posting that. It REALLY helps to see it. It looks more quiet and subtle than I was thinking. There is a softness to it that I really love, which I found in the sample too. Thank you!

Rebecca3142 - those photos are very helpful! I can see how subtle the veining is. It looks beautiful. You must be so excited about your kitchen!

Your counters look beautiful, Rebecca! I am glad to see them as I just confirmed my Pental Carrara yesterday for our entire kitchen and it will be installed next month. I compared a sample of it against the Caesarstone Frosty Carrina and London Gray and decided I liked Pental the best, in addition to it being significantly less expensive. It's more gray that Frosty Carrina (which looks very white in a full slab) but is def. lighter and more muted than London Gray...it's a nice combo. of the two hues.

Here is a look at Caesarstones Calacatta Nuvo - It's so sexy!!! :) Much nicer than Quantum Quarts Calacatta and Talostone's Calacatta :)) It's not as in your face as the others, it's more suttle.......

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WOW i just realised the last comment was over a year ago hahahaha