honestly it does not look like a sand bed but it does give off the white appearance like a fresh sand bed does. i like the look personally.... i'm not sure what is going to happen once coralline starts growing on it though.
oh it has more than a sheen of a sandbed. my neighbor told me that the light from my tank reflects off the starboard and out my basement window through his 2nd bedroom window and onto their ceiling. That is how reflective it is!