Hi winesnob,
Here are a bunch of threads on crema marfil. Just click on the link, and you can read what people think of it and see photos as well.
Renee

Here is a link that might be useful: Search for crema marfil

I have crema marfil as a countertop and in the shower. Something I learned along the way is that crema marfil can have different undertones depending on where it's mined from. I bought my crema marfil for my shower, 12 by 12 tile for bottom half of shower, and 3 by 6 subway tiles from Home Depot. the countertop came from a nearby granite manufacturer. They look different frome one another; one has a grey undertone and the other has a yellow undertone. If I'd known that then I would have made a better decision. But the decision to use crema marfil itself...no regrets, it's really warm and beautiful. Just make sure that the tile you buy is consistent becaue it can look very different!

We have crema marfil (polished) in our guest and powder room and love it. But as the previous poster said, you have to be hands on during the install due to color variations. We bought double what we needed (Flor and Decor at about $3.50 sq. ft.) and I sorted all the tiles prior to install to make sure we had consistent color tones and then returned the yellow/orange toned tiles. We installed in 2009 (floors and counters) and have had no etching or staining.