Replacement tiles are lighter than the surrounding tiles. Is there a way to make the new tiles look darker?

Q. Help!!! I have honed crema marfil marble. I had a plumber relocate my sink, which required the destruction at least 4 tiles. I purchased tiles to replace the four, however, they are much lighter than what has been already installed. Is there any way I can discolor/darken the lighter tiles so they don't stand out as much? They are already installed, but I haven't sealed them yet, because I'm hoping that whatever experiment I perform will seep into the pores of the marble. Please advise...

A. We sympathize with your situation. Unfortunately, the best way to achieve a uniform appearance is to have your marble refinished. The honing process removes a super-thin layer of stone, revealing the brand new stone underneath. Rather than changing the new tiles to look older, the stone restoration contractor changes the old tiles to look new. The good news is that your marble can be polished to a like-new finish of your choice, from satin-matte to a high gloss. It is understandable that you want to find an inexpensive, easy way to resolve the problem. You can ask around and get suggestions, but the consensus on our end (we have a team of experts who have been in the restoration industry for decades) is that trying to resolve the issue in the manner you mentioned would only lead to frustration and poor results. If you do not already have a professional stone restoration contractor, we can check if one of our Certified SurpHaces PRO Partners serves your area. You can fill out this form to request services. Thank you for contacting us.