If you're replastering your pool in Miami, here's the thing nobody tells you at the tile store: you are not choosing the color of the plaster — you are choosing the color of the water. The finish at the bottom is only half the story. Sunlight, depth, and the shade of the aggregate blend together to create the tone you see from your patio, and that tone can look very different from the dry sample chip in your hand.

Diamond Brite, made by SGM, is one of the most popular finishes we sell and install across Kendall and Miami-Dade. It's an exposed-aggregate finish — a factory blend of Diamond Quartz™ aggregate and polymer-modified Portland cement — built as a durable alternative to old-fashioned plain white plaster. This guide walks you through how the colors behave in real water, so you can pick with confidence.

First, understand this: water adds its own color

Pool water is never truly clear-blue on its own. As sunlight passes through it, the water itself tints everything below the surface toward blue and blue-green, and the deeper the water, the stronger the effect. That's why the shallow steps of a pool always look lighter than the deep end, even with the exact same finish.

In practice, it works like this:

• Light finishes (white, ivory, and pearl tones) reflect the most light back up. The water reads as a pale, sparkling aqua — the classic bright "resort pool" look. The trade-off: light surfaces show leaves, sand, and dirt more easily, which matters under Miami's palms and mango trees.
• Medium finishes (the blue family) give you the rich, saturated blue most homeowners picture when they say "I want my pool to look like the Caribbean." The finish and the water's natural tint reinforce each other.
• Dark finishes (deep blues, grays, and near-black tones) absorb light and produce a deep lagoon look — water that reads dark blue, blue-green, or almost reflective, like a natural spring. Darker surfaces tend to hide debris better between cleanings and absorb more sunlight. SGM itself notes that final color varies with water depth, lighting, and installation, so always judge a color by photos of filled pools, not dry chips.

Depth matters just as much: a medium-blue finish might look turquoise over the steps and a strong royal blue in the deep end. If your pool is mostly shallow — a sun shelf, a beach entry, a typical Kendall backyard pool — expect the lighter end of each color's range.

The popular Diamond Brite color families

Light and bright — pale aqua water

• Ivory and Pearl — warm, light bases that produce a soft, pale aqua. Great if you want the water to look light and inviting and your pool gets plenty of direct sun.
• Oyster Quartz and Classic — light neutral tones with quartz sparkle; the water stays a clear, light blue.

The classic blues — bright Caribbean water

• Aqua Blue and Aqua Quartz — the go-to choices for that bright turquoise look South Florida is known for.
• Cool Blue and Blue Quartz — a step deeper: clean, classic pool blue with the quartz aggregate adding texture and glints of light.
• Super Blue and Marlin Blue — richer blue bases for a stronger, more saturated water color, especially noticeable in the deep end.

Deep and dramatic — lagoon-style water

• Tahoe Blue — a deep blue that pushes the water toward a bold, dark-blue finish.
• Midnight Blue — one of the darkest blues in the line; the water reads deep and reflective, more like a lagoon than a resort pool.
• French Gray — a gray base that gives the water a sophisticated blue-green tone, and a favorite with modern gray coping and decking.
• Verde — leans into the green side of blue-green for a natural, spring-like look.
• Onyx — the darkest option, for a dramatic mirror effect. Beautiful, but remember: at night and in shade, a very dark pool simply looks darker — good underwater lighting matters more with these finishes.

Durability and care: why people choose exposed aggregate

There's a practical side to Diamond Brite beyond color. The quartz aggregate is insoluble and, per SGM, is unaffected by pool chemicals and resists permanent staining; the accent colors are permanently bonded, so they don't rust, rub off, or fade the way some colored aggregates can. The variegated, speckled surface also helps mask the small imperfections and mottling that show up plainly on traditional smooth plaster.

Care is straightforward: keep your water balanced (this matters for any cement-based finish), brush the surface as recommended during the start-up period after replastering, and follow your installer's start-up instructions carefully in the first month — that's when the surface cures and when most finish problems are either prevented or created. We don't sell weekly maintenance routes; we sell the finish, install it correctly, and show you exactly how the start-up works.

What affects the cost of a Diamond Brite replaster?

We don't quote a flat price for refinishing, because no two pools are alike. Your quote depends on:

• Pool size and surface area — this drives how many bags of material the job needs
• The color and finish you choose — different colors and blends are priced differently
• Condition of the existing surface — prep work, repairs, and whether old material needs extra attention
• Extras — waterline tile, a matching spa, steps and benches, and any equipment work done while the pool is empty

Want a head start on the material side? Use our free Diamond Brite / River Rok calculator to estimate how many bags your pool needs based on its size — it takes a minute and helps you walk into the quote conversation informed.

Talk to a local team before you commit to a color

Choosing a finish color from a chip is like choosing paint from a swatch in a dark room — possible, but not smart. At DG Pool Supply and Service, we stock Diamond Brite finishes at our Kendall store, and we're happy to talk through photos of finished pools so you can see what each color does in real Miami sunlight.

• Message us on WhatsApp at 305-877-8960 with your pool size and the colors you're considering
• Or request a quote through our Get a Quote page and we'll price your replaster properly

Your pool's color is the one upgrade you look at every single day. Pick the water — not just the plaster — and you'll love it for years.