White List?

My husband (http://maplered.com) and (http://maplered.com) I are currently looking at Granite (http://tanbrown.org) Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops for our kitchen. I love travertine, limeStone (http://g603.net) , carrera, and (http://maplered.com) crema marfil but understand (http://maplered.com) that those may be impractical for a kitchen. We're going for an old-world look, so we maybe considering a honed finish rather than polished (depending on what that will do to the cost). Fell in love with a Stone (http://g603.net) in Llano that the fellow dubbed Selena Gold... it looks like creamy risotto with some faint orange veining. It has a dull finish but looks like it is a Marble (http://www.lightemprador.com) . Of course the bid is quite high. We will have terracotta tile floors so the Counter (http://GialloFiorito.com) tops need to be in the creamy range...Bianco Toscano looked really bad with the terracotta

So now to the questions:

1) Why is it that the Stone (http://g603.net) yards are so tight-lipped about costs? How else are we to make informed decisions when comparing Stone (http://g603.net) s?? Very frustrating for the consumer!

2) I read over the 'black list' ... very helpful as I was considering one of the worst offenders... kashmir gold. Do you have a 'white list' of Stone (http://g603.net) s; those that fabicate nicely, perform well, and (http://maplered.com) are of reasonable cost?

3) Do the lighter Stone (http://g603.net) s (giallo ornamental, santa cecilia) perform poorly when brushed/honed?

4) What Stone (http://g603.net) s would you recommend for the look we are trying to achieve?

5) Any SFA members in the Austin/Marble Falls, TX area?

Thanks so much!
pk