I can't enlarge those pics enough to see, but it appears so. you can't put wood next to the firebox, so i'm guessing they've polished the edges. all you need is some sandpaper from 220 up to 800 or so. I've done it. marble is very soft and you can put a honed finish on it pretty easily. if you want it shiny polished, you'll have to graduate up to higher grits. I'd stick w/a honed finish,,,no one will see it. You could also do chair rail molding for the outside if you didn't want to do wood. or the marble pencil liner that lays flat would be another option. I like your kitchen. are you doing the same tile as your backsplash? I'd do something w/some black for more contrast. maybe cement tiles, or the darker marble w/the nero marquino. like the chevron tile in my niche. that would good as your splash. this splash in a herringbone would look so cool..I'd take it all the way up to the ceiling in your kitchen, and above cabinets.

Well, let's see. Its dark with a busy stone face in a room with light paint color and trim. Its outlined in black when the windows are white. Its rectangular when you have very distinct curving visual elements all around it. Replace the facing stone with something smooth and white, paint the trim, replace the inset with a cool-toned metal and you will be good to go. I would also probably "float" it so it doesn't touch the floor (if possible) and continue the baseboard under it.

Sorry I am not responding to your question about the tile. I am concerned about the fireplace itself. It looks like it has been gutted, which makes it unusable. Can you please elaborate on what you are doing to the inside of the fireplace? Are you installing an insert or something?

@kudzu9 the gap is on both sides. If I shine a light in the gap it looks like the tile is adhered to brick. I’m mostly worried about the front face of the fireplace eventually falling. We do have a warranty, but this is one of many issues we have discovered since moving in. Trying to get a better understanding of what is happening before filing a claim. So far the repairs they have provided seem to be quick fixes and I am beginning to have trust issues!