A. Natural stone most often comes with a polished finish. This is the most frequently desired finish and has a shiny smooth appearance. Countertops with a polished finish should be sealed once a year.

B. Honed is a semi-polished to a matte finish but is still completely smooth. The darker the stone the more change you will see between a polished and honed finish. For example, a Jet Black polished stone looks charcoal gray when honed. Some people who like this finish and have described it as being more rustic looking. Honing granite opens up the pores of the material so sealing is critical. As long as your material is well-sealed with a penetrating sealer, the durability of the stone is not affected by the finish.

C. A third option for finishing is antiqued. Antiqued is brushed to a very textured finish. A fine-grained stone like Absolute Black will feel like coarse sand paper with an antiqued finish. A stone with movement will have a unique pattern to it. This finish is becoming more popular as people enjoy the old world look. Sealing an antiqued finish is still necessary.

D. Soapstone has its own look, but it is similar to a Honed Finish.