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Finishes & sizes — Surface finishes

Ten finishes,
and what each one costs you later.

Finish is usually chosen from a photograph and regretted on site. This page sets out what each one actually does — how it changes the colour, how it behaves underfoot and how it has to be cleaned.

Reflectivity Slip resistance Upkeep Mixed finishes on one piece Samples couriered

The ten
in detail.

Reflectivity is how deep the colour reads. Slip resistance matters the moment a surface is walked on wet. Upkeep is what the family or the groundsman has to live with.

Polished granite surface with a mirror gloss reflecting the light Polished ReflectivityMirror Slip resistanceLow UpkeepWipe clean Ground through successive grits until the crystal reflects. Gives the deepest colour a stone will show and the sharpest contrast for lettering — and shows every fingerprint on black granite.
Honed granite surface, flat and matt with no reflection Honed ReflectivityMatt Slip resistanceMedium UpkeepWipe clean Stopped short of the polish. Flat, even and quiet, and the finish we suggest whenever a family will be cleaning a black memorial themselves.
Leather finished granite with a soft, slightly undulating sheen Leather ReflectivitySoft sheen Slip resistanceMedium UpkeepWipe clean Brushed with abrasive heads until the surface takes a low, slightly undulating sheen. Hides marks like honed but keeps some of the depth of polish.
Flamed granite surface, rough and spalled with the colour lightened Flamed ReflectivityRough Slip resistanceHigh UpkeepBrush & rinse A torch run across the face makes the surface spall away. Lightens the colour by a shade or two, opens the grain and gives real grip underfoot.
Bush-hammered granite surface with an even pitted texture Bush-hammered ReflectivityPitted Slip resistanceHigh UpkeepBrush & rinse Struck with a toothed head to an even pitted texture. Extremely hard wearing, and the texture stays after decades of traffic.
Sandblasted granite surface with a pale frosted finish Sandblasted ReflectivityFrosted Slip resistanceMedium UpkeepWipe clean Blasted to a pale matt. Used as a lettering ground, for borders and panels, and wherever a light contrast against polish is wanted.
Polished granite panel framed by a sandblasted border Sandblasted & polished margin ReflectivityTwo-tone Slip resistanceLow UpkeepWipe clean A polished panel inside a frosted border, or the reverse. The traditional way to frame an inscription without carving anything.
Sawn granite surface straight off the blade, with saw marks visible Sawn ReflectivityAs cut Slip resistanceMedium UpkeepN/A Straight off the gangsaw or bridge saw, with the blade marks still on it. Specified for backs, bed joints and faces that will never be seen.
Natural riven granite split along its own bed, with an uneven face Natural / riven ReflectivitySplit Slip resistanceHigh UpkeepBrush Split along the stone's own bed, so thickness varies within a tolerance and every piece has a face the quarry gave it. Grippy when wet.
Rock pitched granite edge, hand chiselled to a broken face Rock pitched ReflectivityRough edge Slip resistanceHigh UpkeepBrush Hand-chiselled to a broken face. Traditional on monument sides, boulder memorials and anywhere the stone should look quarried rather than made.

On black granite, honed and leather hide handling marks far better than polish. On red and gold granite, flamed lifts the colour a shade or two — the same stone can look like two different materials.

Four ways
a face gets worked.

Every finish on this page comes from one of these four, and that is why some cost more than others — it is machine time against hand time.

Abrasive headsPolished · honed · leatherRotating heads run across the face through finer and finer grits. Where you stop decides the finish.
TorchFlamedA high-temperature flame passes over the slab; the surface spalls off in flakes and lightens.
Blast nozzleSandblasted · letteringAbrasive grit under pressure, masked with a stencil where only part of the face is to be cut.
Hand tools & drumRock pitched · tumbledChisel and hammer for a pitched edge; a rotating drum with grit for tumbled faces and softened arrises.
Memorial facesPolished for contrast, or honed where the family will clean it. Sides and back sawn or pitched unless the drawing says otherwise.
Interior floorsPolished in low traffic, honed in high — polish wears to a dull path down the middle of a busy corridor.
External pavingFlamed, bush-hammered or natural. Polished stone outdoors is a liability the first time it rains.
Pool surroundsNatural or flamed for grip, and a lighter stone so the surface stays cool underfoot.
CladdingAny finish works; honed and flamed hide rain streaking on a large elevation better than polish.
CountersPolished or leather. Honed marks more easily from oils unless it is sealed and maintained.

A finish cannot be judged
from a screen.

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