I'd say keep an open mind and look at everything. Ask for a large sample of anything that looking interesting.

Thanks @debrak2008. Will definitely try. The problem with this particular stone yard is that you can only look with a sales associate next to you. So I end up feeling pressured. The last time I went, she was steering me to things she liked. We walked by some quartzite and she said "you don't want that...." So I felt if I go in with a clearer vision, I can have better control?

There is a larger stone yard that will let people roam around and I do plan to visit that one too.

Visiting several stone yards was really helpful to me, the quality and selection of slabs varied. As long as you have to walk with an associate, use her familiarity with their inventory by explaining the overall goal (low contrast, neutral without garnets). Be sure to have your glass tile with you to differentiate between granite and marble. Have you decided on other elements (backsplash, floor, paint)? Take samples or inspiration photos with you.

Fantasy brown. Some places call it a quartzite, its really more like a marble, at least mine is. My slabs have mostly grey white, and just a bit of brown, some blueish areas, and even some green. No garnets, I was avoiding those too. May be too much contrast for you?

I would go nuts with someone standing at my elbow chattering for the whole excursion. I'm not entirely sure that I would be compelled to be overly polite about it, but here are some phrases you might try:

"I'm going to do much better if you stand over there and just let me look."

"I'm someone who needs time to think and process without continual outside input. It's going to be better for me if you let me wander on my own and I'll come find you when I have a question/am ready."

"You know, I just need some time to wander and consider all the possibilities. If necessary you can come with me, but I really do need some quiet time to organize my thoughts."

Meanwhile, have you seen River White, White Springs, and White Ice? I saw those recently at my local stone yard. White Springs looks fairly close to what you're describing - maybe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slabs at my local stone yard

Can you bring someone with you to distract the sales person? Friend or something? We've done that a couple of times--heck, when we were house-hunting, our agent said that was his job, distract the other agent so we could actually look at the house...

Isn't it funny, when you need quiet time to contemplate, absorb and make a decision on a huge purchase, you can't get a sales rep. to stop yammering in your ear. But, when you are in Walmart and know exactly what your want, it's like a ghost town, not an employee in sight to ask what aisle your "gizmo" is in.

kksmama - I don't have wall paint or backsplash yet! But I'll be sure to bring samples. Great idea. I didn't have my cabinet door with me last time I went.

OOTM - your counters are gorgeous! It does look like marble. I'll add it to my list!

Suzannes and meganmca - am glad I'm not the only one who can't think with someone standing right next to me chattering away full of their own opinions. I wind up just wanting to please them. It's a curse! Love the phrases. Will use! Good idea about bringing a friend to distract. I may need to try that too! This yard has good quality and a nice selection, but the sales people are really difficult to manage.

suzannesl offered excellent ideas of what to say.

Remember they need YOU to make a sale. You DON'T need them. Practice what to say.

As said great idea to bring a friend who is bold and will steer the sales person away or get them to shut up.

I agree about the salespeople; perhaps it is an insurance issue...

Some names:
Colonial Cream aka Millenium Cream (can be more gold than grey)
Bianco Montanha (can have some pinkish areas but very low constrast -- might be also mixed with Bianco Romano)
Monte Cristo (grey, cream, brown, can be higher constrast)

While it would be annoying for the salesperson to accompany me, I'm quite certain that I would drive the salesperson insane! I spent a lot of time in those stone yards going back and forth, from stone to stone and back again.

OOTM_mom, your stone is gorgeous!

Thanks for all the replies! I feel armed with a few names, direction and a new bit of confidence too! Am definitely going to use suzannes comments!

It's rare to find this but you are describing Ivory Silk granite. Another one that you might like is called Golden Ripple very similar (it's not golden but sort of more tan). Ivory background with gray, ivory mica, some small areas of a sort of salmon color not that you would notice but it's there pinch of black.

OOTM, how is it going living with your counters? Are they very delicate? I love them and have been thinking of getting the same but there is very little feed back on people's experience with fantasy brown. Has your's etched and/or scratched and if so, does it bother you?

We are still loving them. I havenot seen any etching, or staining. My slabs are leathered, which would make it harder to notice. I did have one very small area that was rough along an edge, I only found it because my washcloth snagged on it, couldnt really see it, just feel it. i think my painters dropped something on it, but the fabricators came out and took care of it.

We have been fairly vigilent about wiping up stuff, but that is starting to change. I've found pancake batter many hours later. Coffee drops after a couple hours. No red wine or pasta sauce yet (that didnt get wiped up right away).

The leathered surface takes a little getting used to. I amstill nervous aboutsliding stuff across the counter, I don't want to cause "bruising". In fact, I just bought and installed a brew express coffee maker, with a water line, (countertop model, not in the wall) so we dont have to dragthe coffee pot out from under the counters and push it backunder when its done (and no more pouring water). It works great, no steam comes out so it works great under cabinets.

I will try to remember to add a countertop review in my final reveal, sometime early April if my range stays on schedule!

fantasy brown is listed as a quartzite at a local stone yard, so it's not? i know marble etches but i thought quartizite was impervious like granite, am i an wrong?

One stoneyard had it as a quartzite, and I was so excited, another had it as a marble. My fabricator said it was a marble, that it didnt have a high enough percentage of quartzite to be a quartzite (and I purchased the slabs labeled quartzite). I did the glass scratch test on an end at the stoneyard, and the stone crumbled, so I know a large part of mine is definitely a marble. I was originally looking at an onyx, so for me marble with some quartzite was actually a step in the sturdier direction.