Although many people automatically think of creamy, white stone when they think of marble, there are hundreds of varieties,including types that are taupe, green, gold, red, and black. For marble kitchen countertops, however, we generally recommends sticking with white. Because acid etching leaves a whitish mark, it is much more noticeable on colored marble than on white marble. “We put a thousand caveats on any dark marble or nonwhite marble being used for kitchen countertops,” we say, “but it’s a personal choice.”

While classic China white marbles are generally excellent quality and a great kitchen idea, we points out that equally high-quality marbles are available closer to home.

Every stone slab is slightly different, so it’s ideal to select the exact pieces of stone that will be used for your countertops. “There’s an art to marble—selecting the slabs and understanding where the veining is going to be located on the countertop,” says Groves. “You want to artfully place the markings so that it’s almost like a painting.”

At the same time, it’s important to consider how different pieces come together. “The longer the piece you can get without any seams, the better,” says Groves. “If you do have seams, it’s always nice to marble cutting machine-match the marble,” so adjacent pieces have a mirrored appearance.