Leather Series is the same as honed finish

We've now had the honor of installing a leather series countertop by Silestone. It was difficult to get it to look perfect. The leather series is basically a honed version of the regular series. When granite or Silestone is honed, it's a matte finish, not a shiny finish. The inherent problem with any honed finish is that it isn't quite as carefree as the polished version. From Silestone: "While Silestone Leather is easily maintained, it does require more daily cleaning to maintain an even tone on its surface. Because of the three-dimensional feel of its surface, daily living (such as fingerprints and interaction with cooking utensils) show more on Silestone Leather than on other Silestone products." This is especially true with dark colors of Silestone and honed granite as well. Silestone also recommends the use of a conditioner: "The use of a conditioner is purely temporary and will require either repeat applications to maintain a consistent luster on the surface or thorough cleaning to remove it." We have always been proud of the fact that Silestone is maintenance-free, so if you are still looking for that advantage, we recommend you choose from the regular finish of Silestone and skip the leather (honed)finishes.