Gemstone Equipment For Polishing Gemstone.
How to get started. How to Polish gemstone. What Gemstone Equipment do I need.
The stone from the picture above. Where we live there is a lot of different coloured Amethyst.
This stone has been Cut, Cab and Polished at our local club. Buy Now
Pretty Stones.
When you buy Jewellery, is it the gold/silver or the gemstone/stones that catches your eye.
Understand about Gemstones/Rocks.
How do they make it so shinny.
Learn how to do some thing to a gemstone/rock, cut it into two pieces, like make a different shape , polish it. and yes make Jewellery also.
Rocks/ Stones some are very hard, and some are very soft. Some stones show a pretty colour a first site, some do not show there true colours until you either cut or polish them
My First Fossicking Trip.
The first place I went to, fossicking, looking for gemstones was Opalton. I came home with all these stones, and a lot of them had lots of pretty colours in them. The out side stone was a sandstone, dusty and muddy . The first Machine I used was a Dremel , to sand an clean the out side rock, so I could see the colours and shape the rock. Now I have a better machine.
When you start out looking at How to Polish Gemstones.
Want to do something to that Crystal/Stone/Rock you found.
At first you would like to get the dirt out and clean it up. Some people use chemicals, soap and water is a good start. My first rock was a creek rock. When you looked at it , it did have pretty colours. This rock I put it in a vibrator. The colour came out great, it was a pretty rock. So look for different coloured rock/stones.
Join Your Local Lapidary Club.
This helps you find out about lots of different Gemstone/Minerals you can find.
Most clubs have equipment for you to use.
Equipment to help you see more.
The Loupe.
It a is magnifier glass, helps you see better, by magnifying what you are looking at.
What is a Loupe
Loupe is a magnifier glass, so you can see all the scratches and flaws in your stone. There is hand held ones, which are hard to use because, most of the time you need two hands. There is the small single eye ones that have lights in them, I find them hard to look through. And you have binocular ones that are a head loupe. These have different lens, light attached. The binocular ones are great, a little bit hard to get used to them, but once you do become accustomed to them you will always use them. When Purchasing a Loupe you need a good quality one, over time we have bought a few. Remember what you pay is what you get. It is better to see what you are buying, to be able to get a good Loupe. I have bought a lot.
Good light.
When looking at your stone you are trying to see if it is clear from flaws and scratches. Looking at a sapphire or zircon gemstone, there is looks of marks, very hard to find a clear stone.
Adhesives/Wax
Using glues and wax helps in holding that small stone to a doping stick . This is when you are cabbing your stone or faceting your stone. Saves your finger nails, from grinding away.
What is Doping.
Dopping is a process of attaching a stone to a dop stick (piece of dowel) -( wooden stick) by means of a special, hard wax. This is a type sealing wax, but with the addition of some shellac to make it hold better. Using dopping stick save your finger nails, when using the grinding wheels with your stones
How to use Your Wax.
To Attach a stone to a stick , both must be warm and the wax hot enough to flow but not burn. Do not let the wax catch fire as this will cause it to become brittle and not hold the stone. Takes a bit of practise to get it . I still have trouble with my stone falling of my stick. You can use a High Adhesion Wax or Doping Epoxy ( Glue).
Rotary/Barrel–Tumbling.
Tumbling rocks/stones
Tumbling takes about 6 weeks to make you stone shinny. Tumbler will clean your rock also, a tumbler users different grits to do this. 5 different Silicon Carbide Grit are need to get a polish. Changing your grit all the time until you use a polish grit.
Vibratory
Vibratory is faster way to polish a rock/gemstone. One week and you can have polish stones. These machines cost more. My machine did not last long.
Polishes.
There is lot of different polishes/methods in polishing a stone.
Oxide Polish.
Cerium<Chrome, Zirconium, Aluminium.
More to Come Need help leave me a comment and I will get back to you.