I can't speak to gemstone jewel abalone, but Krystalkrete and Sunstone are CLI products (www.clindustries.com). Exposed aggregate finishes from Orlando, FL. Beadcrete is a glass-type aggregate (www.beadcrete.com). Both a good choice, however, Beadcrete will "shimmer" more due to the glass. The warranty on the CLI pebble should be better (lifetime vs. 7 years). Personal preference. Your PB is saying Krystalkrete or Sunstone because that is the vendor that they prefer, due to using them repeatedly.
As for Hayward vs. Polaris, Polaris is mostly a robot pool cleaner manufacturer. Hayward has all of the pumps, filters, etc. to make you pool work. There are basically 3 choices for pool equipment companies; Hayward, Pentair, and Jandy. I prefer Pentair, but all are good.