Honed vs Polished Stone

Honed means a stone surface that is ground smooth and flat but not polished to a shine. The result is a soft, matte look with very little reflection. It is the opposite of a glossy polished finish. See the stone care guide for how finish and care fit together.

Honed tile is natural stone tile with a smooth, matte face. It shows the stone color without the deep gloss of polished tile. At SoCal Tiles it appears as Honed, Filled & Honed (travertine) and Honed & Unfilled. Browse honed marble tile and honed travertine tile.

A honed stone finish feels smooth, not rough, and looks flat and soft because it reflects little light. Veining and color still show, just more quietly than on polished stone. If you want real surface texture, look at tumbled, brushed or split-face instead.

Polished tile is glossy and reflective, so color and veining look deeper. Honed tile is matte and understated, and it hides small marks better. It is the same stone either way; only the surface finish changes. Compare the two in the table above, or read the polished vs honed marble article.

Backsplashes and walls are often polished because shine shows off the veining. Floors and showers are where many people lean honed for a softer look and, on many stones, some added slip resistance. No finish is rated here for wet areas, so check the product and ask your installer. See our backsplash, floor tile and shower tile collections, and the installation guide.

Unhoned is not a standard finish name. It usually means a surface that has not been ground smooth and matte, such as polished, tumbled, brushed or split-faced stone. Check the finish name on the product page, for example split-face stone tile or tumbled travertine tile.

Limestone can be polished, but the limestone we carry, Haisa Light Limestone, is honed. For a polished, glossy look, see polished marble tile; for a white polished look, see white marble tile such as Thassos marble. See all limestone tile.

Yes. Bianco Dolomite comes honed and polished, in field tile, mosaics, checkerboards and wall tile, and some pieces are CNC-arched and honed. Dolomite is a stone chemically distinct from marble; learn more on What is dolomite. Shop the Bianco Dolomite collection or all dolomite tile.

Our honed limestone is Haisa Light Limestone (see limestone tile). For gray tones, gray marble tile includes Tundra Gray Marble, offered honed, polished, tumbled and split-faced, plus Atlantic Gray and Bardiglio Imperiale. The color codes page lists approximate shades.

Honey Onyx is sold polished and split-faced. A polished finish shows the banding in onyx most vividly. See the Honey Onyx collection, the guide to what onyx is and our natural onyx backsplash tile page.

Tumbled stone is rolled to soften its edges and surface, which gives a worn, aged look. Honed stone stays flat with sharper edges. Tumbled is popular in travertine and marble for a relaxed, rustic feel: browse tumbled travertine tile and tumbled marble tile.

A brushed finish uses brushing to give the stone a softly textured, slightly aged surface. At SoCal Tiles look for Brushed, Brushed & Chiseled and Brushed & Straight-Edged on selected stones, such as Bianco Congelato Dolomite. Browse brushed stone tile.

You may also see Split-Faced (a rough, natural split surface), Antiqued (hand-tumbled), CNC-Arched (round-face) and, on travertine, Filled and Unfilled. The filled vs unfilled travertine page explains the filled and unfilled names, and this collection shows split-faced options.

Often yes. Thassos, Bianco Carrara, Calacatta Gold, Oriental White and Nero Marquina marble come in both finishes. Order one of each as a sample and compare them in your own light; any 5 samples are $25 and ship free. Shop Thassos, Bianco Carrara or Calacatta Gold, or order samples.

Care depends on the stone, not the finish. Marble, limestone and travertine can etch from acids on either finish, and sealing helps with stains rather than etching. Because honed stone reflects less light, small marks tend to be less obvious. See the stone care guide, etching vs staining guide and sealing guide.