I think the first one highlights what the beauty of that stone is suppose to show. The second gives more of an all over gray appearance.

ditto, 1st one has more character. I chose the same stone for my master - it's being installed Monday. It's been so long, that I forget what our slab looks like. But we chose based on character of the pattern.

I like the second one because, to me, it's more subtle.

Love the first one!

#2

gorgeous!

(so is #1, but I am a swirly person)

I vote #2...1 is a tad busy.

I like number one. that is what we have in our kitchen and it just looks great.

Definitely #2.

2 for me

Definitely #2

I like swirls!

2 for me too.

When I hold stuff up to my screen so I only see countertop width pieces of the slabs, I prefer #2 by a mile.

Any gauge of which slab is more stable? If it was really a tie in my head I'd ask the fabricator, "which one will have a stronger edge & hold up better to accidental abuse?"

Love both - first one makes a statement. The second one is subtle but gorgeous.

Do you have a sample of your cabinets that you could place alongside these. It makes a big difference seeing a context for a surface.

I like the first one, it's absolutely stunning. The second one is too gray and cold looking for my taste. Good Luck!

Wow! Thanks for all the input -- seems like it might just be a matter of personal choice. But we're still not sure which one speaks to us...

I like the advice about asking our fabricator his thoughts on durability.

Thanks again to everyone for the feedback. After much flip flopping, we chose option #1 and here's what our template looks like. I can't quite picture how it'll all look fit together, so any input about template placement is also appreciated. Thanks!
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}