The photo is deceiving, makes them look textured or that the gray is the actual color of the plate. The gray, stone looking color is actually just a printed pattern, and it’s actually crooked on the bowels and incomplete on the mugs. The actual quality of the plates aren’t bad, especially for the price, but they look cheap because of the printed design. If I’d realized how they look in person, I would’ve just gone for something simpler. But, you get what you pay for.