First, What Is an Etch?

Marble is a fairly soft stone which is prone to marking because of its calcium carbonate cosmetics. Any drippy jar of tomato sauce, any dash of lemon juice, will make a mark that is subtle.

An etch isn't a stain. It is an actual shifting of the rock itself, such as a scratch. It is not actually a discoloration; it is a dulling.

Honed vs. Polished Countertops

Etching is part of the reason I picked honed instead of white marble countertops that are polished. Honed countertops have previously been dulled either by way of a machine or an acid bath. They are soft and matte, when compared with polished rock that is gleaming.

My Countertop: From Two Different Angles

Here's what you came to see: the countertop that is etched. Since etches are actually rather difficult to determine from most angles as well as in most lights, I'll reveal you it from two angles.

This is actually the most-used part of my kitchen: the homework space where I make sauces chop vegetables, and use my food processor. I pour wine, and squeeze lemons for cocktails here. It is Etch City.

There are marks on the marble which are really clear in certain lights and from some angles as you can observe. Etching is bizarre like that; it is not a gouge or a spot, so when the light is right, it is really only seen by you and you're standing at the right angle.

When you can see it, it looks like a layer of additional marks floating through the natural pattern of the marble.

Etching: Is It Possible To Live With It?

Personally, I will be just fine with the etching on our white marble countertops. The initial few marks were startling and disconcerting, but as they've grown in number, they've eventually become a subtle layer of cooking and our own use on the white marble countertops.

We feel fairly romantic my husband says he adores the narrative they've left on the counters and the etches.

But when you're less amorous (and more worried about resale) then the etches are still likely not a huge deal. Look carefully, you're going to see exactly the same skim of etches floating like an overlay above the rock, and as we did, at stunning marble taverns in fancy resorts or restaurants. It becomes part of the routine and also the great thing about the rock.

I understand it truly isn't for everyone, though; the thought of rock you can really change and mark in this manner can be freaky.

It was just right for us, and once we saw some etches "in the crazy" we understood that certainly. Therefore I hope the pictures help you also see what marble really looks like after a few years of day-to-day use that is seriously intense.