did the steel gray look like this?

you could also look at some quartzite

Do you have no say? Only what DH likes? You do NOT want a busy granite of a busy anything for your countertops! You have quite enough going on in this house already, Don't waste your money on white quartzite - use Glacier White Corian. It is inexpensive, clean and will go with anything, including all that stone/knotty pine. And it will also go with however you redecorate after you kill your husband in his sleep some night!

that middle one is Monte Cristo

granite does not etch. marbles etch because they are made of calcite. quartzite is made of quartz, and sometimes has calcite deposits, but not always. it just depends on the kind you get. quartzite is actually harder than granite.

some of the 'harder' quartzite are Taj Majal, Sea Pearl and Macuabas. these don't have the high amount of calcite deposits which would cause etching and staining. Doesn't mean they won't, they are less likely that others w/higher calcite quantities.

any of your darker granites won't etch or stain. i've got the one w/the golds/tans/blacks and whites, and that thing is bulletproof.

so, don't be afraid at some of the quartzite options

here's Taj

sea pearl

and Black Forest, or Black Horse is a really nice black/white. if you got this honed or leathered, it'd be quite a statement piece

these are some pre fab granites

lemon juice....few drops of lemon juice on the stone,,let it sit for 5 mins, wipe away. did it etch or stain? if not, you're good.

here is your steel gray granite, also called black pearl. it's 'meh'.

Honed Jet Mist or Virginia Mist is a nice black granite. doing the honed or leathered would give you a dark granite w/o the fingerprint issues.

White Macaubas quartzite. it's beautiful,,,may be a little pricey.

White Princess Granite. this one is honed. some of the white granites can stain, so use a good sealer and wipe up spills quickly.

To MY eyes they have a lot of pattern. I would hesitate to use any of those, I would much prefer solid white.

White quartz would be the last material I would consider for your counter top, it will look completely out of place in your house. Soapstone would go with all the natural finishes. Or some of the darker options that Beth posted.

I have Fantasy Brown Quartzite in a leathered finish in my kitchen, and in three years, there is not a single etch, scratch or stain. I tested a sample well before purchasing it.

my bad. steel gray is actually a very dark Baltic Brown look alike.

Black Pearl is a very dark Verde Butterly or Peacock lookalike, as well as a darker version of Blue Pearl

i said another name (aka) for steel gray is black pearl. it's a different granite altogether. aka stands for also known as