Rock Polishing Instructions and Supplies

Step 3: Prepolish

• Once you have enough rocks for the extra fine grind/prepolish step, place them in a barrel that has been thoroughly cleaned. It is also a good idea to add some tumbling pellets to cushion the rocks during this step of the process. After your barreld is about 2/3 to 3/4 full add water to slightly below the level of the rocks and add extra fine grit as shown in the chart below.
  
  

• Let the prepolish step run 24 hours a day for 10 days. When you open the barrel, the rocks, slurry and pellets will look like a funny tapioca.

• Gently pour the contents of the barrel into a collander.

• Rinse the rocks over a bucket or disposable container. (Remember: don’t pour this stuff into your sink!) To easily separate the rocks from the pellets, you can put them in a small container of clean water. The pellets will float to the top and can be skimmed off. The rocks should have a slight luster when dry. To make sure that the rocks are ready for polishing, perform this simple test: take an old towel or piece of felt and barely dampen it. Sprinkle a small amount of polishing powder on it and rub one of the rocks vigorously over the powder. If you see a definite shine, the rocks are ready to proceed to the polishing step. If there is no shine, or if the rocks don’t show luster when dry, you should repeat the prepolish step, checking every couple of days, until the desired results are achieved.

Step 4: Polish

• Clean the barrel, lid, and stones as before. Charge the barrel with stones, the appropriate amount of polish as indicated in the table above, and water. Add plastic pellets for cushioning until the barrel’s volume is 2/3 to 3/4. Let the polish step run 24 hours a day for 10 days. The rocks should look shiny when dry. If the rocks have not polished to a high gloss or appear to have a film on them, you may want to try burnishing them to see if they will gloss up a bit.

• Clean the barrel, lid, and stones as before. Gently place the stones back in the barrel, and add soap according to the table above. Classic Ivory soap is recommended - do not use a soap that contains abrasive particles. Grate or thinly slice the bar until you have the appropriate amount. Do not use liquid soap, as it purportedly can harm the rubber barrel, break down the polish, and effectively un-polish your gems. Add clean plastic pellets and water. Allow this mixture to run for 2-4 days.

• When you open the barrel at the end of the burnishing step you will find a thick froth of suds. Under the suds are your sparkling gems. Rise them with clean water, then dry them off. Enjoy!