Polished Finish

A polished surface finish is Smooth, Shiny and Reflective – it highlights the character of your stone. The full colour, depth, and crystal structure is visible.Your stone appears darker and the colors seem richer.This glossy mirror like finish is considered the finest and the smoothest finish available.

It’s easier to keep your vanities & granite counter tops clean and free from staining BECAUSE a polished finish seals or closes more of the pores on the stones’ surface. This helps the stone repel moisture. It’s nearly impervious to weather and chemical wear.

A polished finish DOESN’T mean you don’t need to seal your stone. Some stones are really porous and need to be sealed regardless of the surface finish. (For Example: Kashmir White, Madura Gold, Shivakasky) If you’re not sure, try the water test.

Not ALL stones are capable of being polished to this high gloss finish.

Here’s something to remember: The harder the stone is the harder it is to polish. Your polished granite or stone will retain its shine for a long, long time.

Honed Granite & Stone

A honed surface finish is a SMOOTH surface without reflection. From a matte like appearance to a low sheen. The finish remains flatter than a full gloss polish. It’s definitely not super shiny and there’s very little, if any reflection.

Some call this finish “soft” or “natural looking” and others refer to it as just plain & dull looking.

To achieve this finish, the finishing process ends before the buffing stage.

There are a few variations of honed stone finishes with different names. For example, the Velvet, Satin, Diamond Smooth and Machine Smooth finish are a few.

What do they all have in common?

All honed stones are smooth – no bumps or ridges.

Some are more reflective than others but NONE are nearly as glossy or shiny as a polished finish. What varies is the amount of shine and /or the final look.

The honed finish is preferred for floors, stairs, and other areas where the presence of water might make a polished finish TOO slippery. Where foot traffic might wear off a polished finish. OR, a rough finish is just too rough to walk on.

Honed granite can and is used for vanities, kitchen countertops & tables.

Taking the high gloss polish off of your stone will decrease the depth of color AND, depending on the type of granite, could make it more susceptible to staining.