[Jewelry making - Article 00764] - Re:[Orchid] Polishing tips for platinum

[Paul D. Reilly]

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>     Does anyone know of any quick tips for polishing platinum, that do
>     not require polishing wheels or other similar equipment? 

    Mary Beth, Having worked a lot of platinum, I must first say that
    power equiptment makes the job much easier and the results much more
    refined.That said, you can acheive an acceptable polish on the metal
    without the equiptment you mentioned. I don't know of a polishing
    cloth or paste specifically made for platinum; however with standard
    silicon carbide papers, crocus cloth, and burnishing you can get a
    decent polish on plat. Depending on the condition of the piece you
    have you should take different courses of action; and textured or
    engraved surfaces need a different, more delicate approach. If there
    are deep nicks and scratches start by burnishing them out with
    (preferably a carbide burnisher, but steel will work if kept highly
    polished and well lubricated...Gesswein sells carbide burnishers for
    platinum use). Once burnishing is completed to a nearly smooth
    surface sand lightly with 400 grit and then 600 grit silicon carbide
    papers removing all the scratches from the previous grit (if a finer
    grit paper is available to you, use that next...the finer the grit
    you can sand with the easier the polishing steps will be. Next use
    the crocus cloth (a fine grit polishing cloth found in hardware
    centers or automoive shops); it, too, comes in various coarsnesses,
    so get the finest one available (it will wear out quickly giving you
    an even finer grit from the same piece of polishing cloth.) At this
    stage the platinum will be polished to a level equivalent to the
    polish you'd get from tripoli polishing compound. Use your burnisher
    lightly around prong and/or bezel bases or any other tight hard to
    reach areas to bring them to a high polish. You may be able to
    further the polish on the rest of the piece with a rouge cloth (as
    used on gold and silver jewelry) and alot of carefully used time;
    though I personally haven't tried it. Usually I use Zam next (on my
    buffer or flex shaft) and then finish to its best polish with one of
    the platinum "rouges". These compounds will work on a cotton flannel
    cloth, but much more slowly than on the power equiptment. Good luck
    and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. 

    Paul D. Reilly in Spring-time-snowy/rainy Colorado Spring, CO


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