California Gold installed — a backsplash finished with this tile. Zoom in and read the pattern before you pick.
BacksplashCalifornia Gold
Brown
Measured surface color #887357, averaging #8b7862.
Flat surfaces read as one solid tone; heavily patterned ones vary piece to piece, so we lay them out with you before we cut.
- Style classic
- Color brown
- tile-to-tile variation High
What kind of tile is California Gold?
We stock California Gold as slate, 6x12x6. It reads brown. Slate is dense natural stone with a cleft face, so the surface reads textured rather than flat. It belongs to the rockmount stacked stone panels range. Ace preps the wall flat first, sets the tile, grouts the next day and caulks the countertop joint.
Sizes and finishes
How it is actually sold — measured off the spec sheet, not rounded.
Sizes
California Gold is made in 2 sizes. Size is the decision people skip and then notice every day: it sets how much grout line ends up in the field, and a larger module on the same wall reads calmer than a small one.
- 6x12x6
- 6X24
Finishes
It comes in one finish, split face.
- Split Face
Planning the wall
What California Gold works out to on your wall, from its own published size.
| Size (inches) | Pieces per 10 sq ft | Grout line per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 6×24 | 10 | none — set without grout |
Arithmetic on the published size; a straight grid layout. Herringbone and other patterns cut more pieces.
California Gold is a 6×24 module, which works out to about 10 pieces for each 10 square feet you cover.
6×24 is large-format — any edge of 15 inches or more — and large-format tile needs a flatter wall than small tile does, so we check the wall before we quote it.
Counts are before cuts — outlets, window returns and the ends of a run all take pieces. The install itself, from wall prep to caulk, is on our backsplash installation page.
California Gold or Gold Rush?
California Gold and Gold Rush are easy to confuse on a sample board: they share the same collection, style, certifications, color listing, sizes and finish. What separates them:
- Measured off each swatch, California Gold reads #887357 (mid, warm) and Gold Rush reads #717167 (mid, near-neutral), so California Gold sits about as light as Gold Rush on the wall.
What to expect once it is installed
The ratings that decide whether the finished wall matches the sample.
Grout free
It sets without grout. Faster to install and nothing to discolor later, provided the wall behind it is truly flat; that is a pre-quote check on our side.
Piece-to-piece variation: High
Graded high for piece-to-piece variation, which means the sample and the delivery can read differently. Judge it from several pieces.
Certifications
On the certification side, Greenguard Gold · USGBC/LEED. The Gold standard was written for schools, which is a stricter bar than a kitchen would ever have to clear. Worth a LEED credit too, on the jobs that track them.
What to put next to it
Built from the color we measured off California Gold itself, not from its name.
Measured, not guessed: #887357, mid and warm. The nearest color we hold pairings for is Terracotta / Clay. It sits close to neutral, which means it will take direction from the cabinets rather than fight them.
Cabinets
- Natural / White Oak — clay tile + oak reads Mediterranean. Against this surface it is a step lighter, which lifts the surface without washing it out current
- Cream / Antique White — Cream cabinets give terracotta tile room to glow instead of shout — the pairing ages like a Marseille farmhouse, better every year the glaze crazes.. Against this surface it is much lighter, so the cabinets carry the room and this recedes current
Countertop
- Concrete / Cement Gray — Concrete gray is the cold plunge terracotta needs — without it the clay goes theme-restaurant, with it the wall reads earthy and editorial.. Against this surface it is a step lighter, which lifts the surface without washing it out current
Steer away from
- Oxblood Burgundy — Oxblood and terracotta are two proud reds a half-step apart — close enough to clash, far enough to look like a matching attempt that failed.
More to compare
Other gold backsplash tiles that sit close to California Gold.
Questions about California Gold
Answered from this product’s own spec sheet and our measurement of it.
What size is California Gold?
California Gold comes in 2 sizes: 6x12x6 · 6X24. Pick the size before the color. It decides how much grout line ends up in the field, and on the same wall a larger module reads calmer than a small one.
What color is California Gold, really?
We measured its own swatch at #887357 — mid and warm. It sits close to neutral, so it takes direction from the cabinets rather than fighting them. Names are marketing; that number is what the camera saw.
What is California Gold made of?
California Gold is a slate tile, which is what decides how it is cared for — see the sealing answer below.
Does California Gold need sealing?
Yes. Slate wants a sealer to keep it from taking on stains, and it will show water spotting near a sink until it is sealed.
Does California Gold need grout?
No — it is designed to be set without grout lines. That installs faster and leaves nothing to discolor, but the substrate has to be genuinely flat. We check that before we quote, not after.
California Gold installed
11 photographs of this tile in finished rooms — scroll the rail, tap any shot to zoom.
Close up
California Gold specifications
- Available size6x12x6
- Available size6X24
Finishes Split Face
Rated for Flooring
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Free in-home template and an honest quote — you keep your money until there's a countertop to trade it for.