WHAT IS POLISHED, HONED, FLAMED, SAW-CUT AND NATURAL CLEFT?
 

1)   Polishes on stone itself, not anything applied to the surface. A polished stone is 100% stone, and nothing else. Only crystallized stone can take a polish. Essentially, at a microscopic level, the factory is putting a facet on each crystal, much as a jeweler puts a facet on a diamond. The result is the same; a surface which allows light to refract in and out of the stone in a parallel way, which enhances the visible light and colour, and gives the appearance of depth. A polished finish does not affect the porosity of the stone.
 

2)    Honed finishes are smooth, like a polish, but are non-reflective. This can be achieved three ways:

              - using a stone which cannot polish, no matter what you do.

              - grinding a stone until it is smooth, but stopping just before each crystal achieves a perfect surface.

              - removing an existing polish by applying acid to corrode the surface.
 

Note: Stones are polished by diamond studded pads which are applied with pressure, some thick compound and water – usually to keep the stone cool. The amount of pressure, the type of pad, the grain count of the diamonds (like the grain count of sandpaper), and the liquid mediums all depend on the particular characteristics of the stone. For instance, Granirex must be kept very cool when polishing, or the epoxy will burn, and the colour will disappear.

3)   Flamed, or sometimes called thermal, is a molten surface which is the result of applying direct flame at high temperatures ( a blow torch). This usually is seen in granites and some lime stones. Most stones cannot withstand this treatment. Granirex simulates the surface, and calls it “textured”.
 

4)   Saw-cut finishes are the most unfinished, since this is the surface of the stone when it is first cut, without any treatment. It is a slightly rough surface, usually with circular saw cut marks. Most tumbled marble is made from saw-cut material, and if not tumbled quite enough, will still show saw marks. One rarely sees saw-cut material sold directly to the consumer for interior use.
 

5)   Natural Cleft is principally a slate finish. Following the natural layers that slate forms in, the stone is cleft or cut. It breaks along the layers creating an uneven undulating surface. Slate can also be honed, but will lose much of its colour.