Hello
I’m not a great fan of barrel polishing as I don’t much like the
very bright finish so I have only used it to part finish silver
pieces before sending them for assay so the backs are good. However,
it does produce a more tarnish resistant finsh so I guess it has it
benefits. I have a few questions that no doubt your collective
experience will be able to answer.
-
Is it OK to barrel polish something that is a combination of
silver and gold or will it produce an uneven finish? I’m thinking of
things I have made with gold inlays. -
If I barrel polish something that has a bezel ready to set a
stone will it work harden it so the bezel will be impossible to rub
over or will it create a bur round the bezel edge so the stone won’t
fit without further work on it? -
Can you barrel polish pieces after the stone has been set? I
guess this depends on the hardness of stone? If so which stones can
be barrel polished or what is the lower hardness limit for barrel
polishing jewellery with set stones?
Thanks for your help
Collette (UK)
www.collettebatho.com