Anyone Familiar With Hand-polishing Stones Like Jasper?

[Tiggs]

Please forgive my non-pearly post, but I thought perhaps those here who make their own jewelry might have experience with this. I've got a bit of Leavirite Jasper I picked up in the desert and I thought I'd use it to practice wire wrapping. "Leavirite" was Grandpa's classifying terminology for any stone of a quality suggesting one should "leave it right there".

It occurs to me polishing might bring more color out of it and I've found mentions online of combining time and elbow grease with diamond files, various grits of sandpaper used for metal (like auto body sanding) and polishing with leather and a mineral paste, but nothing truly instructive. Have any of you tried sanding/polishing by hand? Any suggestions?

 

[JerseyPearl]

I can't answer that question, but I love your grandfather's name for this. What pretty stones! I would be inclined to use them as they are.

 

[Tiggs]

Thanks, JerseyPearl. Grandpa was a rock hound; he cut, polished and set stones he either found or purchased as gifts for family and friends. When I was in grade school, we went rockhounding with him to a spot he knew way out in the boonies in the desert, specifically for jasper, but other things are found in that area too. We were literally walking around all over jasper. About a year and a half ago, Dad and I headed out to find that spot again. I'd got some general information online for where to look and we figured Dad would recognize the place once we got out there. Hehe, didn't happen. We got unexpectedly rained on and we never found "the good stuff", but I brought some of it home anyway and we had a nice father and daughter day out of it. The bits in the photo are the prettiest of the ones appropriately sized/shaped for a wire wrapped pendant. If hand polishing isn't an option, maybe I'll just wrap them and see how they look. Need to practice working with wire anyway before I try wrapping my little chunk of amethyst geode in sterling wire.

 

[pattye]

Tiggs,

Interesting jaspers! One of my favorite stones. I think these would be difficult to hand polish because of the hardness of jasper. Have you checked to see if there is a club for rockhounds in your area? They might be able to help you out. By wetting the stones you will get an idea what they will look like polished. What a fun adventure with your Dad! Thanks for sharing!

 

[enbcfsobe]

maybe tumbling them would be the best bet?