Lapidaryforum.net
Rockin' Jewelry => Gold, Silver, Other Metals, Casting and Fabrication => Topic started by: R.U. Sirius on May 26, 2021, 08:27:46 PM
-
An absolute beginner here when it comes to metal smithing! I'd like to start by cold working some rivets into drilled stones, or setting a stone into a heavy bezel, and then grinding and polishing the whole assembly to achieve the final result.
Are there any metal/stone combinations that yield reasonably good polish on both? What polishing compounds would you use, and how?
-
Metals are vastly softer than the stones we use for the most part . With a hard stone you can polish the stone then go back and use compounds on brushes or muslin buffs without degrading the stone polish. The coarser buffing compound , such as bobbing compound, can degrade some stone polishes.
-
When I do belt buckles I inlay Agate or other stone in White or Yellow Brass and then grind and polish the entire face, stone and metal with the usual 14k wheel and then Cerium oxide. Depending on the stone I can also use a rouge on a buff afterwards but I get a high polish so normally don't feel the need for the rouge. Normally stones are Agates and Jaspers.
-
I use a very small 1" cotton wheel with a mixture of 2-0 diamond powder & any grease, very small amounts. This highlights the stone & metal (gold-silver) to finish to a high gloss. Typically with my opal inlay work, the stone's final height is completed on a 6" flat lap. Anything that is quartz based works well to polish with the finding & stone together.