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lmgch

sea pearl quartzite

lmgch
9 years ago

went stone shopping today with my head and heart set on finding Wild Sea or Wild Wild West Green granite.

I struck out. My KD and I contacted a total of 10 yards in the area and have come up empty.

While there are many other places to check, and we'll start checking again tomorrow, I started re-thinking my wants.

I actually saw a beautiful slab in one of the yards of something called Gold Macaubas. learned that it was quartzite and after reading on the qualities of the stone, i was intrigued.

however, i'm not ready/able to commit to the colors of the Gold and the White is just too cold feeling for me. i then stumbled upon the Sea Pearl which is suggested to be green-ish. However, many of the images i see online do not seem very green to me.

My questions are:
1. do you have sea pearl - how do you find it in terms of function - is it actually fairly indestructible?
2. what color(s) would you say you see in your slabs? i fully realize there will be variety, but do you see greens? or mostly whites and gray?
3. do you have white cabinetry? i'm concerned about ending up too white with white cabinets and mostly white countertops

many thanks

Comments (65)

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    That tan one looks more like Mother of Pearl (Pearle Madre) or Taj Mahal more than Sea Pearl. That being said, since it is a natural stone there will be color variations in the slabs they get. BUT I found the names vary from place to place. What one calls white macaubus or white princess looks completely different somewhere else. Just focus on finding the slab you love and don't worry about the name, because I think some places try to deliberately confuse the consumer.

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Yes I can share some more Mom2Sulu. Pics on my phone come out a little dark but I will try!

  • lmgch
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    BlueMoon - the photos are of the exact same slab. That's what is confusing me! Is It the horrible warehouse light? Ugh

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    I love the Sea Pearl Quartz Counters but I also love Mother of Pearl and Taj Mahal Quartz Counters. All three of these counters are so beautiful and how you do the backsplash and have everything go together is what makes a gorgeous kitchen.

  • lmgch
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    so my question for those with sea pearl - did it appear green to you in the yards when it was upright? was it obviously green?

    seems very odd to me that both yards have such a similar looking beige stone that they are calling sea pearl. and that the photo the one yard sent me yesterday appeared green/looked sort of like the photos posted in this thread. yet in person the exact same slab looked beige.

  • Zoladub Dub
    9 years ago

    I ended up with slabs of mother of pearl quartzite. Originally I picked out white macaubus but my gc felt it woul be very hard to match up the lines on my u shaped counters. Garden webers didn't love it either. I was waiting for a shipment of taj Mahol because I really wanted more tans but it was holding every thing up and I decided to go with the mop. I ended up being extremely surprised how different it looked installed. more grey in my home than in stone yard. But I love it. But yes it looked very different in pics than installed.

  • avntgardnr
    9 years ago

    I have no input...but I have to say, I LOVE the look of the sea pearl. I didn't see that in any of my travels. It's lovely!

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Oh, then yes, it is probably a combo of the lighting in the warehouse and the phone, and how it is showing up on the computer monitor. You have to see a chunk of it in your house in your light (which is probably yellow-toned like most homes.) Your paint color will also influence it and how many windows you have. Every slab I looked at read primarily green to me, with the threads being blue and the the plain areas grayish and white. Mine has very thin chocolate brown veining in parts and a larger area of dark teal/blue. But if I had to name one overall color I would say Misty green.

  • lmgch
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    argh - that sounds SO lovely to me. exactly what i would love to see. instead, i saw beige. i'm really hoping i have better luck tomorrow - heading to two other slightly more distant yards.

    thanks, bluemoon - i am keeping the faith

  • loyalandtrue
    9 years ago

    lmgch, I looked at sea pearl slabs at 4 yards in my area and none of them looked beige at all. It is whitish, greyish with tan veining. The slab I have has light blue and green in it. Others I looked at were more green.
    When you compare jams and blue moons pictures with the ones you posted they don't seem to have similar movement-yours seems to be busier. Anyway, my sea pearl looks like a cross between jams and blue moons pictures.

  • berryjam
    9 years ago

    This was a Madre Perla. It was more tan but still with a hint of green. The sea pearl was really more green and white where I saw them. Also in your picture, you have a darker more yellow lighting vs the fabricators picture. Keep looking, but don't just look at the names. Happy hunting!

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Here is a farther away picture. The island pic from above is by far the busiest part of the slab. Some of the rest is very light with almost tone on tone shades of green and gray. The part by the stove which looks completely different. This wasn't a concern for me b/c I have no corners where it met. That gets trickier with lots of movement.

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    I found the picture of my slab which I thought might help you more. The two slabs I got are mirror images of each other (butterfly slabs she called them.) That dark part in the middle is what is on my island. I liked the movement of it, it reminded me of an aerial pic of tributaries, very fluid and blue veined. But as you can see the rest is pretty neutral.

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    I don't know where you are but this was from Stone Action in Maryland.

  • loyalandtrue
    9 years ago

    BlueMoon67, your kitchen is fabulous! I love your windows, ceiling...well, everything.
    I never even thought to take a picture of our slab at the yard-what was I thinking! My slab does look similar to yours and it is interesting that you chose yours because it reminded you of tributaries. I think of water of some form everytime I look at my countertops-either a stormy sky or how the water constantly moves on a lake.

  • lmgch
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    thank you so much, guys. i'm in Jersey. going out again today to hunt. trying to stay positive that i will find what i like.

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    You will find it! I had to go to five fabricators. One gave me a sample that was mainly tans and huge chocolate brown spots and veins. Too harsh for what I wanted. Looked absolutely NOTHING like the SP I ended up with, but it was called the same thing. Some places have pics of their slabs online to save you a trip. You could also call the ones farther afield and ask them to email you a picture to see if it is worth your while to travel! For such a big purchase they shouldn't mind doing that!

  • lmgch
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I found my slabs! knew it when I saw them. don't know how to post more than one photo in a message, but here's one of them. need 3. love the color and variation - so beautiful. not at all beige.

    not at all cheap, either. yikes. is quartzite generally very expensive? anyone know average price per square foot?

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Imgch, those are gorgeous!! Yes, it is very expensive. My two slabs were 6k. It's more costly to fabricate b/c it is a very hard stone and dulls the blades more quickly. (per my fabricator.) Very happy for you! It's such a process. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

  • loyalandtrue
    9 years ago

    Imgch, I am so glad that you found such beautiful slabs! I look forward to seeing your reveal.

    BlueMoon67, how many square feet did you get from your two slabs? I paid about $90 a square foot installed which was very competitive for our area, but that may be higher than in other parts of the country. I, too, was told that they use more blades because the stone is so hard.

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Hmmm, I will have to look. I know there was some left over. I think it was 67 linear feet? I will measure and let you know. It's not a ton of counter space but more than I had before the reno!

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    According to my rough measurements, I have 60 square feet. So it was about 100 psf. That was with a standard eased edge.

  • loyalandtrue
    9 years ago

    I had them do the eased edge on mine, too. I have about 65 square feet so it looks like the cost is about the same in two different parts of the country!

  • wags848
    9 years ago

    Thanks to all for sharing your photos of your lovely Sea Pearl quartzite! I put a deposit down on a slab a few weeks ago. I, too, was drawn to the water & sky imagery of the slab...something very calm and dreamy about the Sea Pearl.

    My slab is "sueded" which is basically honed with a very slight texture. My island is a very wild, green-based soapstone, so I'm hoping the two matte surfaces work well together.

    Bluemoon, would you mind sharing the type of lovely faucet you have? Also, what type of sink did you choose? Is that a farmhouse sink I see? I am leaning toward a Kohler Whitehaven farm sink. Just trying to decide! Thanks!!

    Here's my slab:

  • snowbean
    9 years ago

    I thought I did all my pretesting home work. I tested with vinegar , lime lemon pickle juices tomato pineapple vinegar ketchup , oils, and red wine. My test areas didn't etch . here in my photo ,is the one area of etches on my quartzite that showed up after two weeks of use near my prep area. I can't get rid it. I was sad initially but I got over it quickly. My husband and kids don't care so I'm over it. Good luck with your beautiful quartzite !!

  • bluemoon67
    9 years ago

    Snowbean, I think that is a stain, not an etch. An etch is like a shadow. It looks like a ring or dark spot and can only be seen from certain angles. The good news is that a stain can be lifted with a poultice. Have you tried that? That area may need to be resealed when you are done to prevent more staining. Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: TipNut

  • Jessica Basma
    7 years ago

    Blue Moon, Lmgch, how have your sea pearl countertops held up over time? I am getting ready to remodel my kitchen and have been doing a lot of research. I was sure I wanted Super White quartzite but after several fabricators insistent I don't install that in my kitchen I thought I had to go with a speckle gray and white granite. Finally I came across sea pearl and I just loved loved loved it. The price is twice as much and I'm willing to make the commitment if I know it will stand the test of time(and two toddlers)! I'd love to hear your feedback on how it's been for you.

  • casablanca103
    7 years ago

    Still love mine, and have not had a problem. Red wine, vinegar, no problems. There do at times seem to be etchings and I freak out, but I get out my Method DAILY GRANITE which is the best product I've ever used (from Target!) and a micro fiber cloth and it buffs right out. The pattern is such that it is imperceptible to anyone but the person trying to clean it at eye level in the sunshine. :) But so far, so good! Going on three years. I do worry about this eventually becoming the UBA TUBA of stones, though, meaning it is becoming so popular that eventually it gets dated. But really that happens to anything. I really like my translucent mini subway tiles in MIST for the backsplash. That was the hardest part for sure.

  • maryann1316
    6 years ago

    I'm currently looking to install 58 square feet of sea pearl quartzite and my contractor wants to charge me $148 per square foot. It retailed at $72 a square foot which the contractor will pay wholesale for. I think this is pretty high for Feb. 2018. I'd love some feedback because I feel like I'm getting ripped off. Can someone please advise? Thanks.

  • Jessica Basma
    6 years ago
    Maryann1316, I feel for you! We love our sea pearl but it was more than twice as much as a slab of granite would have been: our fabricator had the slabs rated A-D being lowest to most expensive and our slabs were C+. I don’t remember the measurements of each but each slab alone without fabrication was $2500.
  • czarinalex
    6 years ago

    We purchased 2 slabs of sea pearl last month. $1800 per slab. This does not include fabrication. We are in Southern California.



  • robinc7
    6 years ago
    We received two quotes of $110/linear foot installed with ogee edge in SC.
  • Peke
    5 years ago

    I have had Sea Pearl since 2013, I think. Nothing has stained or etched, and I have not babied it. Like others have said, finding a backsplash to go with it is the worst thing about Sea Pearl.

    My husband was scrubbing the island counter the other day...frantically....

    He thought he was in trouble because he saw a huge round "stain" on it.

    I asked him what he was doing and he showed me the "stain".

    I flipped the light switch for the hanging lights over the island to show him the "stain" was really a shadow. Been there, done that!

    I love Sea Pearl, but I still have not found a backsplash!

  • Jessica Basma
    5 years ago
    I agree with psyohe the hardest part is choosing a backsplash! We have had ours for a year with no problems and really love it very much. We ended up choosing a Grecian gray marble to pull out the white and grays in our stone and it went really well. We don’t plan to sell anytime soon so felt comfortable choosing a more personalized arabesque style since we are really into the transitional feel. We’ve received lots of compliments on the backsplash and stone! :)
  • Peke
    5 years ago

    Beautiful tiles.

    My veins run left and right.

  • PRO
    Maes Design Group Ltd.
    5 years ago

    Hi, I am currently helping my client build a home in Alabama and we specified Sea Pearl. The granite yard shipped two slabs to the fabricator and now we are told that there are EPOXY fills in some of the veins. Does anyone in this feedback loop have any FILLS in any parts of their Sea Pearl counters?

  • chispa
    5 years ago

    You "specified"? Are you saying that you or the client didn't personally go to a slab yard and pick out the slabs? I would never rely on a photo or someones else to pick out my counter tops.

    Epoxy fills are used in some of these stones, but that is why you go see them and touch them in person, so you can pick the best ones, and not the ones the stone yard wanted to move out of inventory.

  • PRO
    Maes Design Group Ltd.
    5 years ago

    We did go see them and selected them. "Specified" means that we selected it and then told the stone supplier what we wanted and they bought it from the stone supplier. I think they switched the slabs.

  • Laurie Malenick Wise
    5 years ago
    this is my suede Sea Pearl that will be installed next month. I have BM white dove cabinets. hope they will look nice together!
  • a h
    5 years ago

    @bluemoon67 can you please tell me the name of the white paint color in your kitchen? Thank you

  • a h
    5 years ago

    @ Laurie Malenick Wise do you have a final pic of your kitchen?

  • Laurie Malenick Wise
    5 years ago
    Ashley h. I'll post some soon. I really like how it turned out. my veins are gray not green. I personally wouldn't have gone with slab....not my thing.
  • Lance Sledge
    4 years ago

    Any new pictures of Sea Pearls after installation? I'm debating on my backsplash as well. Any thoughts on Interceramic's Silver tumbled Turkish Travertine?

    Its hard to find any good pictures of it installed to see if it will go with the Sea Pearl: https://interceramicusa.com/products/detail/turkish-travertine/222207

  • Laurie Malenick Wise
    4 years ago

    I have Seapearl and it doesn't look like it would go very well with the slab I got.

  • Lance Sledge
    4 years ago

    Yea, I think I'm going to have to wait till I actually get the Travertine in to see what it looks like, they didn't have a sample of it at the design center. I'm leaning towards a Perla Light Quartzite, hoping that there will be more grey/silver (and some beige) in the backsplash. I'll find out in a few weeks probably.

  • Laurie Malenick Wise
    4 years ago
    We will be taking out the kitchen tile floor and installing hardwood. I kind of wish my fabricator didn't talk me out of the Cambria quartz I had originally planned on using instead of the Seapearl Quartzite that he had in stock.
  • Natalie O'Nan
    4 years ago

    Question for czarinalex:

    Where did you get your slabs? I'm in LA and I've been getting quotes for $2600 per Sea Pearl slab.

  • Marie R
    4 years ago

    Natalie- sorry if this is too late, but try stoneville in north Hollywood!

  • HU-656653905
    4 years ago

    Downsizing and just found out about Quartzite. We looked at several yards but found this Sea Pearl at Galaxy stone in Houston. Love the veins. Mainly gray with hints of green. On to painting cabinets but Sea Pearl was a great choice.


  • HU-656653905
    4 years ago

    Installer came with me and looked at four slabs. Two had heavy veins filled with expoxy. Found two he could work around to do the whole house. Looks great.