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Rock Art => Cabochons, Intarsias, Cameos => Topic started by: 55fossil on October 21, 2023, 10:20:38 AM

Title: Amber, how do you [polish it from rough
Post by: 55fossil on October 21, 2023, 10:20:38 AM

     I was gifted a large (golf ball size) piece of Amber. It is a blood red when you shine a light through it. Not gin clear but a beautiful rich color. So, what is the best way to polish Amber? I want to leave one side natural and get rid of ll the rough outer edges. I do not want to just smear it with oil and call a poor finish good. I see that on a lot of internet post where they just get a smooth but not polished surface on their amber and then oil it.
    So, wet or dry polish?
    Can you polish it with a machine using diamond or Silicon Carbide?
    Any tips are appreciated. If you have actually polished some Amber and got a really nice finish on it, I would really like to hear about how you did it.

thanks

Title: Re: Amber, how do you [polish it from rough
Post by: christos on November 17, 2023, 12:02:31 PM

Quote from: 55fossil on October 21, 2023, 10:20:38 AM

     I was gifted a large (golf ball size) piece of Amber. It is a blood red when you shine a light through it. Not gin clear but a beautiful rich color. So, what is the best way to polish Amber? I want to leave one side natural and get rid of ll the rough outer edges. I do not want to just smear it with oil and call a poor finish good. I see that on a lot of internet post where they just get a smooth but not polished surface on their amber and then oil it.
    So, wet or dry polish?
    Can you polish it with a machine using diamond or Silicon Carbide?
    Any tips are appreciated. If you have actually polished some Amber and got a really nice finish on it, I would really like to hear about how you did it.

thanks

Amber is hardened sap. high heat may cloud it and crack it since its fragile molecularly. . I never worked on amber  but i would do everything by hand using sandpaper . silicon carbide doesnt sound right but who knows.

Title: Re: Amber, how do you [polish it from rough
Post by: Septicdeath on October 31, 2024, 06:20:18 PM

 Polish with toothpaste. Pretty much any type works. I use a damp washcloth to apply the
polish, and rub by hand. It’s quick and easy, also no chance of overheating. I also shape the stone by hand,using sandpaper. More
work, but you never have to worry about overheating. If you use a wheel use very light strokes to avoid overheating.




 

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