Quartz: Quartz is man made and never has to be sealed. It’s stain, scorch, and scratch resistant, so if you’re someone who typically likes to save dishes (and possibly stain cleaning) until later, quartz will be your best friend! Notice that it’s stain, scorch, and scratch resistant, not proof! So, it is possible to scratch and discolor and deform your quartz. You can spill a glass of red wine on it and it won’t immediately stain the stone, but you will want to clean it up fairly quick using mild soap and water, no harsh cleaners! You can also discolor light quartz by exposing it to sunlight over an extended period of time (leaving the curtains open all day every day). This isn’t to say you can never open your curtains during the day, but just to use caution. Try keeping the curtains open for a couple of hours and then drawing them around the sunniest parts of the day, or keeping them closed while you’re at work. Lastly, quartz does have a heat cap of 230 degrees Fahrenheit! If you’re a person who frequently forgets to put that freshly baked pie on a hot pad after you take it out of the oven, you may want to rethink getting quartz because setting that hot pie dish on your countertop will discolor and deform your stone which may cause a seam to pop!