Stone Finishes
Polished stone is buffed to its highest natural state, leaving it shiny, rich in color and an elegant look. Polished stone reflects light and needs little maintenance when the right cleaners are used.
Honed stone means matte finish. The shine is removed from face of the stone’s surface, as with typical marble or granite. The polished finish is removed with a type of wet sandpaper, leaving a matte finish with no bumps or ridges and little or no reflection. Honed finishes have a very consistent appearance and refers to any level of honing, from slightly honed to deep honed. Honed finishes look great on walls where light reflections can cause an annoying glare from lamps, televisions or computer screens. Honed finishes are very popular on countertops now. Typically, only seen on natural stones, but Cambria Quartz engineered stones are now available with a honed finish under their warranty.
Leathered stone is achieved with steel brushes that dig deeper into the stone. Different mineral deposits have their own hardness factor so each color yields a different depth creating small hills and valleys on the face of the stone. The finished results show a very soft sheen to it and is not as shiny as polished stone. Leathered stone hides fingerprints and water spots better than other finishes. Leathered stone is ideal for active countertops, vanities and outdoor applications that people touch.
As the name implies, suede finishes look and feel similar to suede leather. It is a relatively new process used with natural stone and some quartz stones. Suede finishes -look gorgeous and are used on denser more consistent stones and with a complimentary decor, suede finish on your countertops will be met with approval and awe. An added benefit for using suede finish is it does not leave fingerprints.