[Jewelry making - Article 00446] - Re: [Orchid] Tumbling emeralds (long)

[Douglas Turet]

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>     I am new to finishing stones and am going to try and tumble about
>     a pound of rough Brazilian emeralds mostly still in their black
>     matrix. I have a couple of questions. Can I use small agates with
>     the emeralds to make up remaining stones to fill the tumbler? and
>     whats grits I should use?" 

    Hi Marty, The "right" approach to take will depend alot upon the look
    you're hoping to get, as a result. First and foremost, what's the
    capacity of your tumbler, and is it a vertical rotary, diagonal
    rotary or vibratory tumbler? (The type of unit will affect the
    stones differently; if using a vertical unit, you may want to add in
    some plastic pellets with the load, to cushion the stones as they
    drop [or "tumble down"] from each rotational cycle.) Next, how do
    you want your finished product to appear? If you want to see the
    Emeralds look pretty much as they do now, then toss them into your
    tumbler with the matrix intact, just as received. If you'd like to
    see them matrix-free, you might want to invest in heavy rubber
    gloves, a clear poly container (like those made by Rubbermaid) and a
    quart of Muriatic acid. Under ideal conditions, you'll dig a small
    hole in the backyard to hold the container, place the Emeralds in
    the container (again, _outside_ your house, because those fumes can
    be pretty nasty!), pour in enough of the Muriatic to cover them, put
    the lid on and come back in 8-24 hours, assuming you're not
    experiencing sub-freezing temperatures, at the time. When you
    return, the next day, bring a pail with a gallon or so of water in
    it, and gently pour the acid and stones into it. You'll find that
    the Emeralds' matrices have been dissolved into a brackish muck at
    the bottom of the pail, and the green crystals are ready to be
    tumbled! 

    As for the next steps, there are several different options you can
    go by, but the easiest way is to pick up a pre-sorted set of
    tumbling grit charges, available through (gulp) Rio Grande, TSI and
    Alpha Supply, to name but a few. These will have the three or four
    different stages of grit you'll need (with complete instructions),
    so all you'll have to do is follow the steps and enjoy the results!
    Hope this has helped! 

    All the best, Doug Douglas Turet, GJ Lapidary Artist, Designer &
    Goldsmith Turet Design P.O. Box 162 Arlington, MA 02476 Tel. (617)
    325-5328 eFax (928) 222-0815 anotherbrightidea AT hotmail.com

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