Basic Granite Monument Finishes

Common surface finishes

Polished: A smooth reflective surface that deepens the stone color and reveals grain. Polished faces are common for inscriptions and etched artwork.
Honed: A smooth, non-reflective surface produced by stopping before the final polishing stages. It offers subdued contrast against fully polished areas.
Steeled: A uniform matte surface produced by blasting with steel shot. The lighter appearance can contrast strongly with polished granite.
Dusted: A fine matte texture created with abrasive blasting. It is frequently used for inscription panels and decorative contrast.
Sawn: A cut surface left with the relatively smooth texture and possible tooling lines produced by the saw.
Rock pitched: A rough natural-looking surface shaped to a controlled line, commonly used on monument ends, tops and base edges.
Stippled: A textured field made with repeated small tool marks, creating a visibly dimpled surface.
Polished margin: A polished border surrounding a contrasting panel or field, often used to frame lettering.

Finish abbreviations are compact shop language, but they are not perfectly universal. The drawing should show the exact surfaces included.

P1, P2 and higher counts: These commonly indicate how many surfaces are polished. Always identify the actual faces rather than relying on the number alone.
AP or all polished: Typically means all exposed monument surfaces receive a polished finish; concealed joint surfaces are handled according to the fabrication drawing.
BRP or rock-pitched balance: Often indicates that surfaces not specifically polished remain rock pitched. Confirm top and end treatment.
PFT: Commonly refers to a polished flat top, particularly on bases or markers, with the remaining exposed sides separately specified.

Match every surface: Confirm front, back, top, ends, sides, margins and joint surfaces on the drawing.
Consider artwork contrast: Etching, sandblasted lettering and color treatments perform differently across polished and matte surfaces.
Confirm terminology: If a finish code could be interpreted more than one way, write out the intended treatment before production.