| Polishing marble is necessary when a polish finish | | | | After the stone is taken through a grit |
| stone becomes scratched or etched to the point | | | | progression (lets say 120,200,400,800) the stone |
| it becomes dull. The other reason marble requires | | | | will develop two things the stone expert looks for: |
| polishing is if the customer has a stone that | | | | clarity and depth of color. In the lower honing |
| comes to him with a hone finish and he desires it | | | | grits, the stone appears faded and white, with |
| to be polished. These are the only two reasons I | | | | very little color. As the grit progression to the |
| can think of a stone should be polished. Refinishing | | | | higher grits, detail in the stone (clarity) and color |
| to eliminate wear or changing the tiles from a | | | | (depth of color) begins to return. As we approach |
| hone to a polish. | | | | the honing stage where the stone becomes |
| Stone is available in two finishes: hone or polish. | | | | recognizable again (all stone is different so this |
| Polish is easy for most people to visualize - it is a | | | | happens at different grits) we are getting ready |
| shiny, glossy finish, and when viewed across a | | | | to complete the final polish process. |
| light source there will be a reflection. This is my | | | | There are several different final polishing methods |
| definition of polish, I am sure there are others. | | | | available for marble. We sell one in our online store |
| Hone finish is a bit harder for a customer to | | | | that is suitable for do it yourslefers. There are |
| visualize. Honing is accomplished in two ways: with | | | | some applied dry and some applied wet. If the |
| diamond or powder abrasives (there is another | | | | stone professional is experienced, they should be |
| way, but lets just stick with the abrasives) These | | | | able to achieve a high gloss finish. The polish finish |
| abrasives are available in different grits - from 30 | | | | is accomplished through the use of heat and |
| to 3000. The hone finish will depend on the grit | | | | friction. One word of caution is not to allow a |
| level of the process ends with. You cannot go to | | | | product called a crystalizer to be applied with a |
| too high a grit level (usually over 220) or the | | | | steel wool pad. This process will make it |
| stone will take on a polish look. | | | | impossible to refinish in the future, unless more |
| Which gets us back to the subject of polishing | | | | crystalizer is applied. |
| marble. Honing is a story for another day. | | | | |