Fantasy Brown and Super White: why some quartzite acts like marble

A glass of orange juice left overnight on a Fantasy Brown island can leave a dull ring by morning, the kind of mark most people expect only from marble.

Quartzite is supposed to resist that kind of etching, and most of it does, but Fantasy Brown and Super White are two widely sold stones labeled quartzite that behave differently once they are in a kitchen.

What is actually going on

True quartzite is quartz sandstone that has been fused by heat and pressure into a very hard, dense stone that resists both scratching and etching from acids.

Fantasy Brown and Super White are geologically dolomitic marble, even though both are widely sold and labeled as quartzite at stone yards across the country.

Dolomitic marble is harder than a classic marble like Carrara, which is why it gets grouped with quartzite in the first place, but it is not as hard as true quartzite and it does etch when acid sits on it.

Why these two stones are so popular anyway

Even with the etching risk, the color and veining of Fantasy Brown and Super White are hard to match in a true quartzite at a similar price point.

What this means day to day

An etch on these two stones looks like a dull, slightly rough spot where the polish has been softened, the same reaction you would see on a marble counter after citrus, wine or vinegar sits too long.

The etching is usually subtle on a honed finish and more visible on a polished one, since polish makes any change in the surface easier to see against the shine around it.

A honed finish on either stone hides new etching better than a polished one, which is why we point homeowners who cook a lot toward the honed option if they are set on one of these two stones.

Neither stone is damaged in a structural sense by an etch; it is a surface change that often improves with polishing, not a crack or a weak spot in the slab.

Living with Fantasy Brown or Super White

A quick wipe after a citrus, wine or vinegar spill keeps most marks from ever showing, since it is the time sitting on the stone, not the splash itself, that causes the dull ring.

Use a cutting board and avoid setting acidic ingredients directly on the stone while cooking, since that is the most common way an etch shows up on a kitchen island.

Reseal on the same schedule as a natural stone that etches, since a fresh seal helps but does not make the surface acid-proof.

Fixing an etch later

A light etch on Fantasy Brown or Super White can often be polished out by a stone care professional, the same repair used on a marble counter, though repeated etching in the same spot eventually leaves a permanent dull patch.

Choosing with your eyes open

We explain exactly what these two stones are to anyone looking at them before they buy, because the veining and the price point are genuinely close to marble while the durability expectations people carry in from granite are not.

If the etching risk is a dealbreaker, a true quartzite like Taj Mahal or White Macaubas gives a similar pale, veined look with the scratch and etch resistance quartzite is known for.

We bring samples of both to the estimate so you can see, and touch, the difference between one of these stones and a true quartzite before you commit to a slab.

If you love the look of Fantasy Brown or Super White and are comfortable with that trade, we are glad to fabricate and install it; we just want you choosing it with the full picture.

See the stones in person before deciding. Send the estimate form and we will bring both to compare side by side.