[Jewelry making - Article 00087] - Re: [Orchid] Good quality stones at a good price?

[Lee Einer]

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>     I don't cut stones very often but I know what you mean. As long as
>     there's *some* curvature, though (and there is), you can get a
>     good polish without having to resort to a flat lap. Perhaps one of
>     the real cutters on this list could give some tips? 

    The difficulty in polishing is due to a flat spot- even a slight
    dome will polish more easily. You also may want to avoid flat spots
    for the simple reason that they reflect light differently and for
    that reason so not look so good on a finished cab. 

    So, here's a couple of tips- 

    1). Illuminate your cabbing area with long-tube flourescent lights.
    When you are examining your stone to see if it is ready to move on
    from the shaping to the sanding, look at the reflection on the
    surface of the cab when wet. You should see a thin band of light
    reflecting as you move it back and forth. A flat spot will reveal
    itself as the band will change to a rounder, fatter reflection when
    the light hits the flat spot. 

    2). When in doubt, take a laundry marker and draw a line accross the
    top of the stone, and make sure it is ground or sanded off before you
    proceed to the next step. That will insure that you do not have the
    pesky flat spot that gets missed as you progress to finer grits. 

Lee
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