So, I think I've figured this out. I finally was able to get a piece of "leathered" finish Arabescato (close enought to honed finish) to play around with. This particular piece didn't have any movement and was just a solid light grey. I etched it with vinegar and lemon juice, but like before, it doesn't stain.

When I compare the leathered finish etching to the polished etching I did not think it was less noticeable on the leathered finish. In fact, what seems to help hide it the most is the movement or variation in the stone. So, for myself, I will save the $600 it would cost me for honed finish and make sure I buy a stone with good variation to help hide any potential etching.

I also noticed that the Super White has quartz going through it. This "clearer" part of the stone does not etch and will scratch glass. The whiter part of the stone behaves exactly like marble. So it appears that it's an amalgam of quartz and marble. That would be why sometimes you can get it to scratch glass, but that most of it will still etch. I'm not a geologist and I have no idea if that is possible, but that's how my samples are behaving.

Thank you very much for posting your findings - we have Super White so I was interested to hear the results of your tests!