Stone surface finishes refers to the use of different processing treatments on the surface of the stone under the condition of ensuring the safety of the stone, so that it presents different material styles to meet various design requirements.
So, what are common stone surface processing methods in the industry?
According to actual applications, it can be divided into three categories:
First, conventional surface finishes, such as polished, honed, etc.
Second, non-slip surface finishes, acid-wash, leather, flamed, water-jet, bush-hammered, rough picked, etc.
Third, decorative surface finishing, such as antique, mushroom, natural, sandblasted, acid washing, etc.
Now Let me introduce to you one by one.
Grinding, sanding, and buffing produces a high gloss, mirror-like surface, the surface is brilliant and shiny with a mirror effect. It cause the most refined finish for tiles. This type of finishing is suitable for almost all kinds of stones. A polished finish is quite popular as it enhances the color and markings of the material. The most popular uses of polished stone are in: interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior paving, Fireplace facing and hearth, Lavatory tops, Residential & Commercial counter tops, Table Tops etc, but it is not suggested for outdoor paving since it reduces slip resistance. | ![]() |
Polished ![]() |
Grinding and sanding produces a smooth, yet not glossy finish. This is best for low maintenance, high traffic applications. Honed finishes unlike polished finishes are not reflective. The honed finish is a satin smooth surface with little light reflection. This finish is often used on walking surfaces and other areas where heavy traffic would wear off a polished finish. Honed finishes are used in interior wall covering. It can also used on the exterior in warm environments, table tops, very light duty residential flooring, etc. A smooth matt to light shine surface finish (depending on the stone). Created using different grades of abrasives under factory conditions, honed stone is the most commonly used and recommended internal floor finish. |
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Honed, It is the same stone as polished finish, but with different finishes, the color is difference. |
The surface is simply polished, just remove the machine-cut lines formed during the cutting of the flag slabs, and it feels like a rough honed finish. |
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Rough Rubbing ![]() |
This finish is created by “sawing” the stone with diamond disc teeth. It produces a somewhat rough and irregular surface with small furrows and undulations. Sawn finish makes the stone lighter and gives it a matte tone. Sawn finish is available for external paving, steps, pathways, driveways and patios. This surface is a result of sawing, when the granite, marble, sandstone & Travertine block is sawn into slabs by diamond gang saw or by diamond wire saw or by block cutter. The sawn surface is generally smooth but probably some “blade / saw markings” can be seen on the surface of the material. |
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Sawn Cut ![]() |
A flamed finish is one of the most popular finishes for external use where slip resistance is a concern. This finish is used mostly for exterior applications as flooring or as facing on commercial buildings. It is produced by applying a high-temperature flame to the surface of the stone which creates thermal shock and causes the inherent crystals to fracture, resulting in deeply textured surface ideal for external surfaces. This finish is mainly used on granites, and will hide surface imperfections and tone variations. In stone with yellow shading such as Rust Yellow Granite, because of oxidation, yellow materials become orange or red, this create a rich, dramatic effect in originally quiet colors. |
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Flamed, Yellow turns red after oxidation. ![]() |
A highly textured finish, best used for exterior applications such as paving or sidewalks. A mechanical hammer hit the stone, leaving small dents on the surface. The result depends on the size of the hydraulic hammer and the number of points on the hydraulic hammer. As a result, the surface of the stone is rough and uneven.This finish is suitable for any kind of stone. |
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Bush Hammered ![]() |
A diamond teeth mill grinder is applied perpendicularly to the surface, to achieve the typical flat profile. The grooves always run parallel, the distance between them remains constant. A chiseled finish is created, as the name implies, by breaking a stone with a hammer and chisel. Depending on the type of chisel used and skill level of the person using it, this can provide a very rough surface or a slightly irregular finish. A chiseled finish can be applied to any stone. |
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Chiselled ![]() |
The rough picked surface refers to process the stone surface to be more uneven than bush hammered surface,and the graininess is more obvious.The texture of the material is just the opposite of the waterblasted, with weaker unevenness and large graininess. |
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Rough Picked![]() |
High-pressure water is used to directly impact the surface of the stone to peel off the softer components to form a unique decorative effect of the rough surface. Usually used in conjunction with flamed, bush hammered, etc., can deepen the color of the stone itself, especially the black stone, which will turn darker. |
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Water-jet, The left is flamed, the right is flamed+water-jet, with obvious contrast. ![]() |
This is a rough, but tidy look created by applying a high pressure blast of quartz sand to the stone's surface. A sandblasted finish creates a finely textured surface ideal for use in traffic-ways. Applying a high-pressure jet of water mixed with sand, this treatment softens the color and characteristics of the original stone. With the continuous advancement of technology, a new sandblasted process has been produced. The quartz sand is replaced with steel grit. The surface produced by this is rougher and more slip-resistant, and the effect is similar to that of bush hammered, So now this sandblasted is also used instead of bush hammered, which greatly reduces the cost. |
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Sandblasted ![]() |
Rough texture, not as abrasive as flamed. This finish is typically achieved by hand cutting and chiselling at the quarry, exposing the natural cleft of the stone. This finish is primarily done on slate. Suitable for wall installations or paving purposes. |
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Nature Split / Rockface ![]() |
The natural surface is also known as the natural fracture surface and the crack surface. It is a piece of stone that is naturally split from the middle by a machine without any treatment after the split. The surface of this stone is extremely rough and extremely uneven.Natural surface finishing marble should also consider stone weight, thickness, specifications and installation technology, and is suitable for natural style and rough style decorative spaces. |
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Natural ![]() |
Mushroom surface refers to the shape of the stone surface with a chisel and hammer, like an undulating mountain-shaped slab.It requires the stone generally the bottom must be at least 3 cm thick, and the raised part can be more than 2 cm according to actual requirements.This processing method is usually used in economical walls. |
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Mushroom ![]() |
The processing that imitates the old effect of stone after a certain period of use. There are many kinds of antique finishes, the most common of which are: Tumbled, Leather, Flamed+Brushed, Acid washing. Flamed+ Brushed: Antique surface is time-consuming and more expensive.It is to eliminate the thorny characteristics of the flamed surface. After the stone is first burned with fire,brush it with a steel brush 3-6 times.The antique surface has the unevenness of the flamed surface, and it feels smooth and does not pierce your hands. |
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Flamed+Brushed ![]() |
Using sand, pebbles and water to tumble the surface of the stone in order to create an aged appearance. A finish can be applied to variety of stones to give them the impression that they have been walked on for centuries. This is an aging process similar to the one applied to achieve an antique finish. In this case, natural stone is introduced in a vibrating drum-like machine with smaller, more resistant stones that wear the tile completely. |
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Tumbled ![]() |
"Leather" is a process in which granite or marble is made into textures to give the stone a suede look and feel, and not look so smooth. A leather finish is obtained by a process of brushing the slab with a range of brushes. The result is a slightly undulating surface, very soft, warm and smooth to the touch. Leather starts with a honed surface and adds texture. Additionally, it closes the pores of the stone (compared to honed) and retains the color better than honed. |
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Leather / Brushed ![]() |
The acid washing surface achieves the visual effect by corroding the stone surface with strong acid. The treated stone will have smaller corrosion marks on the surface, which looks more pristine than the polished surface, and the strong acid will not affect the interior of the stone. This process is usually used in marble and limestone, and has good anti-slip properties. It is widely used in toilets, kitchens, roads and so on, and it is also used to soften the luster of granite. |
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Acid Washing ![]() |
We have shown a lot of information about stone finishes, which is certainly not comprehensive. If you have new or better ideas, you are welcome to communicate with us.