Hints and Tips

Polishing of Stone:
The high-gloss polished finish on stone that is used on kitchen and bathroom bench-tops, is achieved by mechanically polishing the stone with diamond encrusted grinding pads.
During this procedure, some larger quartz pieces in the stone are sometimes pulled from the surface. When viewed in reflected light, this polishing creates the slightly pitted look that is characteristic of natural granite. All granites, other than very tight grained stones such as Midnight Black, should have this characteristic This polishing process is carried out in the quarry factories prior to shipping..
Note: Generally it is only man-made products, usually compositions of stone and resin/polymer(plastic), that are able to be manufactured with a dead smooth, plastic-look surface.
Unlike man-made plastics, Granite when used under normal conditions, should never require re-polishing.

Cutting on benchtops:
Due to the extreme hardness of granite, it is not advisable to cut on bench-top surfaces with knives, as they will blunt very quickly. A timber chopping board is far more practical.

Applying of Hot utensils to Surfaces:
Generally items transferred direct from stove to bench-tops will not damage the surface of your Granite. The only time a problem can occur is if the stone were to have a natural fault line or fissure that cannot be seen with the eye. Thermal heat transfer could cause this to open up, appearing as a crack. For this reason we suggest a timber board or a granite off-cut be used as a pot stand, rather than sitting pots straight from stove to benches. Common sense should prevail.

Chipping:
Should an edge be chipped due to a severe knock with a pot, bottle or similar, the granite can be repaired quite easily. Epoxy resin is tinted and applied to fill the chip, then once fully dried it is shaped and polished.
Absolute Stone can arrange for a tradesman to carry out this work.