Natural stone is a living material that has been shaped by nature over time. Each block contains colours, veins, and textures that narrates a unique geological story.
Marble, granite, and quartzite are already masterpieces. However, the correct surface finishing enhances these natural stones even more, since shades, reflections, and tactile sensations are highlighted. Thus, each material can be adapted to the required design style.
There are numerous surface treatments, each with specific aesthetic and functional properties. Below, we’ll explain the most important surface finishings that are available in the stone industry and some special treatments for design.
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Surface finishings in the stone industry
Polishing
Natural stones with polished surfaces show maximum gloss and reflection. Thanks to a step-by-step polishing with increasingly finer abrasives, a perfectly smooth and speculate surface is achieved which reflects the light like a mirror. This surface treatment optimally highlights the colours and grains of the material end emphasizes the chromatic contrasts.
In addition to the aesthetic improvement, polishing seals the pores of the natural stone, making it less absorbent and more resistant over time. The polished surface is highly demanded for flooring, cladding, kitchen counter tops, or interior design items in high-quality spaces, where it’s meant to showcase the natural elegance of marble, granite, and other natural stones.
Generally, outdoor flooring is not polished, as in case of humidity and certain weather conditions, the surface can get wet and slippery.
Honing
During the honing process, abrasives are also used to level and smooth the surface. But unlike polishing, the process ends before the mirror effect is reached. This way, a smooth yet matt surface is obtained without reflections, while the colours and texture of the natural stone remain visible in softened shades. The practical benefit is that a honed surface is less slippery, which is a big advantage when you install floor tiles in humid environments or in heavily trafficked areas. The matt surface is appropriate for the installation in indoor spaces as well as in covered outdoor areas and is usually applied when you want similar effects as a polished surface but without the mirror effect.
Satin finishing (leather effect)
In the stone industry, the term "satin finish" refers to a special surface treatment, also known as "leather effect". This finishing creates a matt and silky surface with slight irregularities that emphasize even more the natural look.
Contrary to the mere honing process, the colours of natural stones are preserved and more emphasized by satin finishing, since the material’s colour is intensified, just like on polished surfaces. Satin finish is very versatile: it is often applied to marble, granite, and quartzite to obtain a modern look, especially for kitchen counter tops, washbasin tops, or floor tiles when a matt surface with an anti-finger-print effect is required.
Sandblasting
Sandblasting utilizes the abrasive effect of sand and air, which are projected onto the stone surface with very high pressure. This process erodes the outer layer of the stone, ensuring an even abrasion while creating a rough and slightly scratched surface. In contrast to hammered finishings (e.g. bush hammered etc.), sandblasting causes a lower and more uniform roughness without leaving deep craters.
If one prefers a delicate, slip-resistant surface instead of the more aggressive-looking bush hammered one, it’s the optimal solution, especially for floor tiles in outdoor areas or marble stairs.
Flaming
Flaming is a thermal process, primarily used for the surface treatment of granite or very hard natural stones. The surface is exposed to an extremely hot flame, which causes an immediate thermal shock and the subsequent disintegration of the outer layer. The result is a very rough surface that resembles naturally weathered rock. From a chromatic perspective, the flaming ‘opens’ the colours of the surface, making it appear lighter and matter, while the irregular structure partially conceals the veins. This finishing is mainly applied when slip and weather-resistant properties are essential for outdoor installation of granites (or certain quartzites): e.g. paving in public areas, swimming pool borders, outdoor stairs, façade cladding etc. Only hard materials such as granite can be flamed, since they must withstand high temperatures without breaking apart uncontrollably. Marble is not suitable for flaming, as it could chip in unpredictable ways or undergo colour changes.
Brushing
Brushing – also known as patination – is a surface treatment that uses abrasive brushes to selectively wear down the stone surface to simulate natural weathering over time. In this way the surface will get worn and slightly irregular but pleasant to touch with a certain diffuse glow as the one of antique stone slabs. Brushing creates a ‚soft’ roughness (like orange peels) and saturates the colours almost like polishing yet excluding the mirror effect.
The antiqued surface is highly recommended to give history to the material: the new marble conveys as much charm as a marble recovered from an old building, but a contemporary natural stone has the advantage of higher resistance. This finishing is mainly used for floor tiles and cladding in rustic or classic interior spaces, as well as for vanity tops in bathrooms or counter tops in kitchens, to achieve a lived-in effect. It is also applied to furnishing items made of natural stone to soften the coldness of a shiny surface.
One major advantage is that brushing can be combined with other rough surface treatments to optimize the properties of the natural stone. For example, a flamed and brushed granite will combine the best of two worlds: the flamed basis gives the material a slip-resistant roughness and rustic appearance, while the subsequent brushing will soften the surface, remove imperfections, and bring out the original colour of the natural stone. Similarly, a bush hammered or sandblasted surface can be brushed to create tailor-made antique surfaces that feel less rough but are still slip-resistant with a certain vintage-look.
The intensity of brushing can be adjusted to the desired effect: when applied outdoors, where a high slip resistance is required, only light brushing is used. For interior application, multiples brushing operations can be performed to finally achieve a surface that feels only rough when touched but is free from irregularities and can be easily cleaned.
Eco Antik
Of all brush-treatments, Eco Antik is the most popular. It is applied to a previously flamed, hence rough and irregular-looking surface. During several sequential passages with increasingly softer brushes, the surface is further processed to smooth and soften the typical irregularities of a flamed surface, to get an overall velvety finish that is pleasant to the touch with yet an appealing antique effect. This very elegant finishing fits perfectly into high-quality interiors, for example, when renovating upscale country homes or when replacing antique floor tiles or paving.
Special and design-wise surface treatments
In addition to the listed ‚classical‘ surface finishes, there is a wide range of special treatments that have emerged thanks to technological innovation and creativity in the stone industry. Thanks to advanced machines, such as water jet cutting machines with ultra-high pressure, CNC machine tools with computer numerical control, laser systems, or combined machines for surface treatment - it is possible to create three-dimensional textures or decorative patterns on the stone surface, thus expanding enormously the range of design options.
Using for example a pure water jet, a rough surface can be produced that resembles a flamed surface but without changing the colours during thermal treatment. CNC engraving allows to create high-precision geometric patterns on the stone surface. Some companies have specialized in the development of innovative stone cladding with various visual effects that range from wave-like patterns, akin to draped fabrics, to complex geometries. All effects are realized by means of milling and CAD/CNC processes.
Thanks to the collaboration with high-tech partners, Marmi Rossi offers these exclusive finishes on customer request. Our range of special treatments includes: wengè (striped wood effect), juta (inspired by jute fibre), corteccia (like tree bark), tranchè (another wood effect with crossed and then brushed scratches).
Stone finishings: conclusion
Ultimately, natural stone finishes are an essential component for each project that uses marble, granite, quartzite, or any other natural stone. Each technique highlights the different properties of natural stone and multiplies its application possibilities, be it the gloss of a polished surface or the texture of a bush hammered and flamed surface or rather a more complex design surface. The expertise around these surface treatments is crucial for stonemasons from both an aesthetic and performance-wise perspective, to offer customers optimal solutions.
After more than 50 years of experience in the stone industry, Marmi Rossi offers all major surface treatments for a large number of natural stones and can produce special surface finishes on request, thanks to the collaboration with trusted partners.
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