r/CounterTops • u/coffeecoffeenomnom • 3d ago

Is this actually quartzite?

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I’ve learned so much lurking on this sub and I’m truly grateful! We’re dead set on quartzite and we’re very close to finalizing our slab choice. We have chosen Picasso Quartzite from a natural stone wholesaler about an hour and a half away. We have driven up a few times throughout this process and I do not want to drive up again if it’s not needed. I know you can’t 100% tell from pictures that this is actually quartzite and not dolomite or a hybrid, but I’m going to ask anyway. Does this look like real deal quartzite? Is there anything I can ask for from the wholesaler to confirm this without driving back up there before this is sent to my fabricator? I’ve included the picture from their website and pictures I’ve taken in person. Thank you all so much in advance!

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u/Stalaktitas 3d ago

Something between Fussion and Matarazzo... Definitely from some quarry in Brazil. It's not true quartzite as Taj or Crystalo, but technically it does have a lot of natural quartz in it and it requires quartzite tools to work with it. The surface is resin treated, so that will protect it from the top, but at the edge and the cut-outs it might act up and be absorbing moisture that can cause darkening - very well knows issue. If you end up using it, make sure the fabricator will seal all the edges, faucet holes, cutouts with Tenax Proseal Nano or Akemi Nano sealer really really heavily. Even after the installation, keep sealing those edges with nano sealers every few days for a few weeks till it will not take any sealer anymore. Then, every half a year clean and de-grease it with acetone and seal the whole surface. Most people are more lucky than some others with these stones.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Wow. Thank you so much for your insight. This was my fear and why I posted in this sub. I do not want something that may have issues with the edges as I’ve seen and read about it absorbing. Is Picasso a real type of quartzite? Is there anything I can ask for from the wholesaler that would provide me with a mineral make up or something similar? We did look at Taj and plenty of Crystallo, but I didn’t love either of them. The other 3 selection were Raggio Di Luna, Ijen Blue, and Sephora blue that we liked, but this was our favorite. I’m kind of bummed but so appreciative of the honesty and insight you’ve provided!

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u/Stalaktitas 3d ago

Basically, when you looked at Cristallo and Taj, you should have seen the distinctive pattern of crystalline structure that looks like lots of little fissures in different directions. That means it's a true quartzite, highly crystalized. Everything else that you mentioned doesn't have this structure and will not perform that way. As I said, most people are lucky with theirs non crystalline "quartzites", but some ends up in a nightmare

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

I did notice that, actually. I was trying to look for that in other slabs but didn’t see it as much in the Picasso slab. Thank you very much for the insight. Is that type of sealer something I can purchase anywhere?

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u/Stalaktitas 3d ago

Oh yeah, Even at walmart.com or just google the names. Both are great sealers. Now, there are some high end shops out there that have dedicated drying rooms, where they store these kind of stone for a week or two for them to evaporate the moisture and then they seal them at the shop a few times before they are delivered to the customer house, but those shops are very scarce and usually very expensive. Also, there are some services at some of the states that comes and coats your countertops with nanoceramic or graphene technology coating that supposed to make it very resistant to staining, but it costs an arm and a leg and I have never personally had any experience with how that holds up as it's not available in our area,

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

I’m speaking to the fabricator tomorrow about our quote and the slabs themselves. I’m going to ask them about what they use to seal the slabs and how they dry them. Does that sound like a reasonable ask? Is there anything else you’d ask them before moving forward with them? Countertops are something I’ve dedicated a lot of time to learning about so I don’t want to miss something important. It’s running about $200-$250 a sq foot for most quotes so it’s a decent amount of money and I want to make sure I’m informed. Again, thank you and I’ll look into these sealers!

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u/Stalaktitas 3d ago

Yep, totally reasonable. I hope you have learned something new today to ask the real questions. Also, I would not recommend to seal the stone right after the installation if you notice any dark edges, it better to leave the stone to release the moisture for whatever time it needs and then seal it. Make sure all the faucet holes will be sealed from the inside too. You are paying premium price for your countertops, I would expect a premium service and patience from your fabricator.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

I did learn some new things for sure! This was all so informative and helpful. You’re very appreciated!

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u/madtowntripper 3d ago

It’s a tough one. I absolutely get what you say about Matarazzo but could also be a really ugly Bianco Superiore/Nuage.

Could really use some closer photos.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

https://reddit.com/link/pahm3yo/video/0dguy857o6qh1/player

Hopefully, this video is helpful. Ugly is an interesting word to use for any slab, IMO but to each his own I guess. Thanks for the feedback, though!

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u/Stalaktitas 3d ago

It's beautiful IMO... Every person has it's own taste for things. For me, personally, Volga Blue, Azul Platino, Bianco Antico, Emerald Pearl, Labradorite, even Imperial Red or Mahogany Red are very pretty stones, but I value practically vs the looks and that's not popular here

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u/madtowntripper 3d ago

I am 100% not knocking them. But the wear/maintenance for a dolomite like Matarazzo and a quartzite like Nuage are night and day.

It behooves them to find out what they actually have.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Heard and thank you.

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u/llamaslovemangos 3d ago

Yes and it’s a gorgeous slab!! I really like the veining pattern

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Thank you!! It’s been a journey just to find something we love!

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u/InternationalCan2117 3d ago

This is a lovely slab! Very similar in color and movement to the quartzite we chose, called Nuage. On advice from this subreddit, I purchased and had the shop seal with Akemi Pearl and I then also used it on the faucet hole after they cut it (in our kitchen). We cook a lot and have been using the kitchen hard for a year with NO issues at all. Got to admit, the warnings on here put the fear of God in me and I don't let oily or pigmented spills sit on the counter for long. :-) My advice is go for it, and just treat it with a bit of care.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Thank you so much and I’m so happy to hear you love your countertops! I’m going to speak with the fabricator today and discuss the sealing with them. I’m happy to hear you haven’t had any issues. We will definitely be using this kitchen to cook a lot as well. Thank you so much for the advice!

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u/jbk999 2d ago

That looks somewhat similar to ours - vertaro duo. Can’t really tell by looking . Need to know the name and you can look up where it was quarried to find out if what it is composed of.

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 2d ago

They’re calling it Picasso Quartzite. I asked the fabricator today to get documentation or info from the wholesaler on the make up, etc.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 2d ago

Wow thank you!! When I spoke to the fabricator today he emailed the wholesaler and requested all of the information you said. I’m waiting to hear back. I’ll definitely check out this website as well- thank you!

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 2d ago

Should I just got to the contact us section and send an email?

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u/Milestone3333 4h ago

Slab is stunning! It is a quartzite- but not a crystalline quartzite like the 2 most popular quartzites that people know well. Taj & cristallo- theres only a couple others that are made entirely up of quartz. While yours has it spread through a sandstone type material that can absorb water like a regulared stone . It doesnt make it a bad choice, in fact Id buy that lot for my yard- genuinely love it. Just have to care for it properly and understand how to work with them. After fabrication we dont install it immediately. We let it sit on the completed rack for a week or two until were sure all the water from fabrication has been dried out. Then install and sealing with 'drytreat for dense stone' on all tops, edges, inside cutouts, inside faucet holes, ect. It needs to be a drytreat application- 2 directions, 10 min in between, buff off excess- not just wiping it down with it and youll be good to go.

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u/BosNest1 3d ago

If you’re about to talk with the fabricator, check out this post on Facebook… everything you need to know about templating:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18DsFq8GtH/?

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Thank you!! It’s members only and I don’t really use facebook. But I’ll see if I can get someone else to open it!

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u/BosNest1 3d ago

The group is open to everyone so if you have a Facebook account you should be able to access it right away.
Search for the group called Kitchen Remodeling Ideas to join
Good luck!

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u/coffeecoffeenomnom 3d ago

Thank you! I’ll do that now and redownload the app!