Types of Marble Finishes

As there are many choices for Marble , there are also several finish options to best suit each design preference and décor. From the high sheen new look of polished stone to the finish of tumbled and antique stone for the illusion of aged stone; Marble has many different natural stone finishes to fit your needs.

Polished:
A glossy surface finish that brings out the full color and character of the stone. This versatile treatment is usually best for countertops, walls and floor tiles as it adds a beautiful sheen.

Honed:
  Honed is semi polished or matte finish, with polishing only to a certain level, shy of generating a gloss level on the surface of the stone. Once again, different stones will carry a different level of honing based on the mineral structure. It is a good choice for flooring, stair treads, thresholds and other high traffic areas which would wear out a polished finished.

Antiqued:
  Acid washed to create the tumbling effect, then brushed to "smooth" the surface. This finish gives the illusion of reclaimed material with a rich history and character. A good application of this material is granite flooring in an entryway.


Satin:
  Buffing heads run over the surface to create a smooth and subtle texture, similar to a honed surface, but slightly less uniform. The end texture has a slightly weathered texture.


Flamed:
  A surface treatment applied by intense heat flaming, which creates a rough surface finish. Because this stone has a rough finish to it, the flamed stone is a good choice for outdoor use-such as a patio or walkway.


Tumbled:
  A slightly rough texture that is achieved by tumbling small pieces of marble, limestone, and sometimes granite to achieve an archaic/worn appearance. This process of involves acidic based chemicals at the factory level and/or the use of a tumbling machine that "antiques" the stone to give the appearance of a weathered, antique look in the stone, with softened edges.


Cross Cut & Filled:
  Cross Cut - The process of cutting the initial block of stone parallel to the natural bedding plane. The effect is a mottled or cloudlike appearance.
  Filled - A trade expression used to indicate the filling of natural voids in stone units with cements or synthetic resins and similar materials.
   * Abbreviations that some suppliers use to describe this type of cut are CCFH
(Cross Cut Filled & Honed) and CCFP (Cross Cut Filled & Polished.)


Regular Cut & Filled:
  Regular Cut (vein-cut) - The process of cutting the initial block of stone perpendicular to the natural bedding plane.
  Filled - A trade expression used to indicate the filling of natural voids in stone units with cements or synthetic resins and similar materials.
   *Abbreviations that some suppliers use to describe this type of cut are RCFH
(Regular Cut Filled & Honed) and RCFP (Regular Cut Filled & Polished.)