Lee - After much trial and many errors here is the way I polish
plume agates and other included stones. First, do an exceptionally
wet final sanding/pre-polish job; then dry the stones completely,
warming them thoroughly; finally, gently wipe the pits with block
paraffin. After the paraffin has hardened, go back to final sanding,
and gently sand off any wax which protrudes. Now you can safely move
to cerium oxide for final polish without packing polish into the
open ends of the plumes, etc. Afterward warm the stones to remove
the paraffin. An alternative which I’ve read but not done is to use
water soluble wax instead, and then boil the finished stones. For
the stones already “loaded”: soak in a strong mix of dish detergent
and hot water until the water cools, then use a waterpik to blast
out most of the polish, finishing with a trip into the ultrasonic
bath. It doesn’t get everything, but nearly does.
Jim Small
Small Wonders