"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Those are tough green pads, or you have soft stone.


Scotch brite pads are used by machinists to put a brushed finish on metal
parts even stainless steel.

You should be able to polish out these scratches using normal polishing
techniques. Use alumina sand paper down to 600 then 1200 grit then switch
to diamond paste and a buffer. Finish off with a new coat of impregnating
sealer and surface sealer (whole counter). A gouge would be harder to
remove but possible, just start with a coarser grit and feather out from the
damage. You can get buffing wheels for an angle grinder from some tile
stores.

I bet you can get an installer to come out and do it for you for under $200

Replacement stone tile goes from $4 to $20 a square foot uninstalled. Most
granites are in the $7-$12 range

Granite has a blotchey crystalline appearance while onyx has a smoother
flowing crystaline appearance (often layered or swirley).