Rhodo polishing (wasRE: Introduction)

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi Elena,

I’ve never cut any rhodochrosite, but if I’m imagining the right
material, it’s pink and white patterned? If so, I think the pink and
white are different hardnesses, which can result in an "orange peel"
effect when polished in certain ways. I would probably shy away from a
leather or felt polishing wheel, which can “dig.” Probably the best bet
(also expensive) is a high grit diamond polishing wheel (Maybe 50,000).

You can also buy diamond compound in a syringe and apply it to a stiff
lap of some sort and probably achieve comparable results.

Just a guess!

Welcome aboard,

Dave Sebaste

2

Thanks for your reply. Yep, rhodocrosite is the beautiful pink & white
stone (in it’s massive form; it also occurs in a crystalline form that is so
pure pinkish red and beautiful that I could stare at it for hours). Sounds
like a challange to work with if the pink is a different moh than the white.
My cabbing wheel is the type with a horizontal plate, like the Crystalite
model that’s on the back of Lapidary Journal every month. It’s really easy to
put different wheels on - I’ll try the diamond compound that comes in a
syringe with my polishing wheel.
Elena