A method for preparing a polymeric article including the steps of admixing a visually differentiable granule-based coloring system into a fluidic polymeric base material, such as by coextruding, co-laminating, or injection molding. An applied hydraulic force, such as applied along a planar direction and in cooperation with a separate linear directed hydraulic force associated with a sheet article formation step, causes associated and high aspect granules to align in substantially parallel and evenly dispersed fashion. A further step includes "roughening" the surface of the article created, such as by the removal of a selected thickness of material to reveal a top layer of the entrained granules to create a fully exposed stone surface associated with the faux article, this further resulting in a scratch/mar, heat and light resistant article.