Tumbling topaz

i just finished a cuff with multiple raised bezel settings of clear
topaz - not heat treated. its going to be difficult to finish without
resorting to tumbling due to the settings - is this acceptable or
will i ruin it? thanks very much!

Hilary,…I would not take the chance. Find some way to hand finish
it. You never know what might happen to the stones but I bet
something will that make you very unhappy! You might try putting
masking tape over the stones but that is chance as it will probably
come off in the soapy water.

Cheers
from Don in SOFL.

Hilary - I wouldn’t advise a tumble finish for items with stones
that are set. The abrasives will damage the topaz and the stainless
steel step could crack the stones.

If you have a magnetic polisher, a big one, that could give you a
prefinish without damaging the stones. The machine needs to be big
enough for the piece to move.

While it may be too late for this one, in the future, finish
complicated pieces with tumbling prior to setting stones…

Judy Hoch