Our customers often ask this question: Should I get polished pebbles for my landscaping project, or should I get the “regular” Mexican beach pebbles? The follow-up question usually is: Are the non-polished pebbles smooth? This article will clear up any confusion regarding polished and natural landscape pebbles, and it will help you choose the best type of rock for your needs.
When in Doubt, Choose Natural Beach Pebbles
When customers ask us for advice, we almost always recommend natural pebbles. Why is that? The short answer: natural Mexican beach pebbles are the best for most outdoor landscape and hardscape applications. They are completely smooth and rounded, and you can safely walk on them barefoot. Beach pebbles do get warm in hot sun, but not more than any other type of natural stone. Lighter color pebbles (such as buff ivory and mixed) will be less hot than the darker colors (black pebbles).
Our natural Mexican pebbles are just that – completely natural pieces of rock as picked up at the sunny beaches of Baja California, Mexico. We add nothing to them, except for ocean water. This makes our pebbles (landscaping river rock) safe for pets and water features, including a variety of aquariums and koi ponds.
Tumble-Polished Beach Pebbles: When to Use Them and When to Stay Away
Polished pebbles (polished river rock) is a beautiful product when you choose it wisely and use properly. First, there are several types of polishing processes. The best (and most expensive) is tumble-polishing. During this process, workers place Mexican pebbles in giant tumblers and tumble extensively to mechanically grind the top surface to achieve a subtly shiny look.
Benefits of tumble-polished pebbles:
• Long-lasting shine
• Not harmful to the environment
• Excellent as indoor accents, mosaic pieces, interior decor
• Black pebbles look darker when polished
Some of the reasons not to choose tumble-polished beach pebbles:
• Very expensive
• Not good for outdoor landscapes, particularly in hot climates (due to fading & peeling)
Other “Polished” River Pebbles: Exotic Pebbles and Other Suspicious Stone Products
Today the market is flooded with pebble products of Asian origin that claim to be polished landscaping pebbles. These pebbles typically look extremely shiny (when compared to the subtly shiny tumble-polished river rock), and they are cheap. What you don’t know is that these pebbles are not polished. They are simply coated with a sealer or wax. This process is fast and inexpensive. Various companies do it mainly outside the U.S.
Reasons to avoid fake-polished beach pebbles:
• “Polish” does not last: pebbles will fade, peel, and crack. The will happen very quickly in hot, sunny climates
• Pebbles are coated with unknown substances
• Not safe for pets, acquariums and koi ponds
• Fake-polish process is harmful to the environment
For these reasons, we recommend that you read the labels on polished beach pebbles very carefully and always find out exactly what polishing process has been used. A hint: the price will be a great clue.
A Note About Color: Black Mexican Pebbles
The color of river rock is a tricky subject. Generally, the most popular color of Mexican pebbles is black. However, there are no truly black Mexican beach pebbles in nature! Mother Nature creates beach rock that ranges in color from light to dark grey, with subtle bluish undertones. On top of that, Mexican pebbles look lighter when dry and a lot darker when wet. This is one of the benefits why people like polished pebbles. The polish essentially “seals in” the wet look, thus making your stone to look darker always.
If you are planning to install your landscape pebbles in water features (ponds, pools, water fountains etc.), you don’t need to purchase polished pebbles. Water will cover your stones and make them look dark and polished! If you need more information or advice about your specific landscaping project, contact us and we will be glad to help.