How do you get the color back in a black absolute granite. I ground the tiles flat and used diamonds all the way to a 3000 grit as directed by the diamond manufacture. I have a good shine on the granite but it has a hazy white color and doesn’t

Polishing black granite is very difficult and requires a lot of patience and is very time consuming. Here are several suggestions which should help:

Make sure you are using a granite polishing compound.* Marble polishing powders will not work on granite. Use a lead and felt wheel. These wheels are designed for polishing granite and can be purchased at supply houses that sell restoration supplies (see resource directory).

The technique for polishing black granite requires that you start wet, working the powder into a slurry and then buffing until it is dry. After it is dry continue to buff until the granite gets very hot. It should get so hot that it will burn your hand if you touch it. Another trick that has been used to get the color back into granite is to add powdered lead to the polishing compound. This is not recommended however, since there are safety and environmental concerns when using lead.

Another trick that can get you out of trouble, but should be used as a last resort: After you have completed honing the granite with the final diamond, allow the granite to dry overnight. The next day apply an application of recrystallization. Recrystallization is designed for marble but it can put the color back into granite. The reason it works is unclear and there is no guarantee what adverse effects, if any, it will have on the granite.

Another technique that some craftsman use in the field is to add recrystallization fluid to the granite polishing compound instead of water. This technique seems to work, but again, you are cautioned that there are unknowns regarding the possible long term effects of these techniques.

Please keep in mind that the above suggestions are techniques that can get you off a job but the author and publisher assume no responsibility for the end results. Granite polishing is very difficult and should be performed by an experienced craftsman. If not experienced I would suggest laying a small floor in your garage and practicing there.