Great reference! Thanks for the post.
But, still the question....could I live with the etches? And I am not even a fussy person and still I wonder, can I do it?

Here's that link above in a little easier format. I don't know if I could live with glass rings on my counters. I do have honed Carrera in my upstairs bath and at first I was paranoid about it but not so much now. I don't want my guests to ever have to worry about hurting it. One thing I can't abide is staying in someone's home that has "rules" for guests. Martha Stewart aside, that is not something I would ever consider doing!!! But back to your question, it depends on your personality I think. It's hard seeing something you love get marks on it on the other hand, Carrera has been used in public bathrooms in the past and I see it in some bistros and ice cream parlors and think it they feel it's durable enough for that kind of use it must be very much worth having.

Here is a link that might be useful: What a marble etch actually looks like

When I see an etched marble counter, I don't even notice the beauty of the marble--my eye goes only to the etches. But of course it depends on your lighting whether it's noticeable.

Oh, and FYI, quartz is neither shiny nor plasticky. It has a subtle sheen and looks and feels like the hard surface it is.

I took these 2 pictures a couple weeks ago because this topic comes up so much. I've had my statuary marble for a little over 2 years. I have lots of etches on it, but 4 weeks ago, while making strawberry freezer jam, I got my big ones. I was ladle-ing (is that a word?) the jam into jars and then laid the ladle and spatula on the marble in between jars and batches. I wasn't thinking that strawberry would etch. While I'm not thrilled with it, I know from experience that this etch will "fade" or blend in better at some point. And I just don't really mind all that much. The marble is still my favorite thing in the house! Both pictures are of the same area, but different angles. When you just stand looking at the marble, you just don't see even this big etch. Sorry for 2 posts but I don't know how to post 2 pictures in one. This picture is the huge etch.

Here's the same area from a different angle. I can see the etch in this picture as a "bluish" color. I got this because I was TRYING to see it to show you. At a normal standing angle, I see nothing.

It's good that you see nothing because you're the one who has to live with it! In answer to the OP's question, I could not live with it, as gorgeous as I think marble is.

I could! I just don't know how her backsplash stays so nice...beautiful kitchen :)

When I rode the bus to work I walked through Union Station in Kansas City everyday. Of course marble is everywhere, but oh man you should see the bathrooms. Every bit of marble and especially the counters are etched like you would not believe, and I think they're amazing. Its the only marble I've seen IRL so I always expect it to look like its actually used.

When we build I want a baking center in my little kitchen and it would be great to have a sectioned of honed marble.

I decided to do a Carrara marble island. It's big and has seating. We have five kids. It will be like everything in my life . . . not perfect. I know enough people, that I love, that couldn't live with it and I totally understand. I decided not to over think it and just go with what I loved. But, I also purchased an awesome shiny shopper faucet off eBay that had a few marks. Even the marble has a few scratches already. I'm relieved, that way I won't fear the first scratch/dent, etc.

:)