MARBLEX – Accredited Natural Stone Fabricators

Most stone applications utilize only one of a few finishes. There are however, over twenty finishes and sometimes they are called by interchangeable names. Here are the most common finishes, many of which are available at MARBLEX:

	Polished		Most common, mirror gloss with sharp reflections;
	Honed		Dull sheen, without reflections, achieved by abrasive heads; degree of honing may vary;
	Antiqued/Brushed		The surface is super heated and then scuffed with wire brushes to achieve a worn look;
	Leather		Similar to an antique finish, but the sharper edges have been softened through brush polishing creating a very warm, inviting feel to the stone;
	Flamed or Thermal		The surface is super heated and then planed down to uniform thickness creating a coarse texture. Ideal for outdoor kitchen usage;
	Sawn		The natural result of gang sawing, leaves the surface of the stone open and unpolished. Most commonly seen in sandstone.

Less common finishes include:

	Fine rubbed		Sawn
	Water-jet		Gauged
	Sandblasted		Planed
	Bush-hammered		Acid washed
	Natural cleft		Tumbled
	Picked, hand-hewn

Another surface treatment is called resination. This process involved the application of a very durable, protective layer of resin applied to the surface of a granite. This layer is usually heat resistant to 900° Fahrenheit and permanently seals the granite. The process may be performed by hand or machine – the best results are from machine application. Many of MARBLEX’s granites have a resin layer applied.