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How to polish amber?


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Hello, 

 

New to this forum. I recently have developed an interest in fossil inclusions in amber. After buying a number of prepared pieces, I decided I would like to try my hand at polishing some of my own. I found myself the owner of several hundred pieces of Dominican amber with inclusions. I have been doing a wet sand, and feel like I am close, but the pieces just don't seem to be getting a nice clear transparent finish. Any tips for finishing? I attached a few photos, the piece with the winged ants is from my collection and was polished by someone else, just for contrast with the one I was working on. I have a few pieces that look like they may have rarer inclusions (one looks like an earwig), so I am hoping to perfect the technique on a few more common pieces before I try my better ones. 

 

Thank you!

Nathan

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IMG_7465.JPG

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I am curious about this as well actually. Back in September I acquired a few pieces with inclusions.

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I heard something about having to use ash? But it was from the owner of the local rock shop, so unsure.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
-Romans 14:19

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What grit are You using?

The finer the grit the better surface You will get when You buff it out.

For something as soft as amber I would start with 220 and work it down to 50,000 grit before polishing.

 

The commercial pieces are either tumbled or cabbed on a machine.

 

Good luck and looking forward to seeing pictures.

 

Tony

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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Wet sand (very, very fine), then a Dremel with a small cloth wheel mounted. The cloth wheel is loaded with a polishing compound. I purchased mine years ago from Europe, but cannot remember the trade name. It was a stiff, clay-like, light tan material that was in a bar form. This approach worked very well. I am sorry i cannot recall the actual polishing product. When this topic previously came arose on the Forum, I searched the Internet but met with no result in identifying the product.    

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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27 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

Wet sand (very, very fine), then a Dremel with a small cloth wheel mounted. The cloth wheel is loaded with a polishing compound. I purchased mine years ago from Europe, but cannot remember the trade name. It was a stiff, clay-like, light tan material that was in a bar form. This approach worked very well. I am sorry i cannot recall the actual polishing product. When this topic previously came arose on the Forum, I searched the Internet but met with no result in identifying the product.    

Speaking of which, Snolly, I never realized until last week that the piece of amber you sent me contained an insect inclusion!!! I may have to look into obtaining more after this exciting discovery; the students I lecture to love it :)

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
-Romans 14:19

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26 minutes ago, Jesuslover340 said:

Speaking of which, Snolly, I never realized until last week that the piece of amber you sent me contained an insect inclusion!!! I may have to look into obtaining more after this exciting discovery; the students I lecture to love it :)

Hi Skyelar, your post just goes to prove the old adage: "If you get anything from snolly, you better check it for bugs."

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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2 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

Hi Skyelar, your post just goes to prove the old adage: "If you get anything from snolly, you better check it for bugs."

I shouldn't have laughed so hard at that :P But I never knew! Wish I had the equipment to take a decent photo of it to have it identified!

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
-Romans 14:19

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10 hours ago, snolly50 said:

Hi Skyelar, your post just goes to prove the old adage: "If you get anything from snolly, you better check it for bugs."

 

Perhaps if we send Snolly amber he will return them with more bugs!!!

Lol I had to laugh at this as well!!

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Thanks for the reply! I will look for some cloth wheels for my dremel tool. I know one guy I talked to uses car polish, could I just get a regular wheel and soak it in polish?  

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On 03/03/2017 at 4:27 AM, snolly50 said:

Wet sand (very, very fine), then a Dremel with a small cloth wheel mounted. The cloth wheel is loaded with a polishing compound. I purchased mine years ago from Europe, but cannot remember the trade name. It was a stiff, clay-like, light tan material that was in a bar form. This approach worked very well. I am sorry i cannot recall the actual polishing product. When this topic previously came arose on the Forum, I searched the Internet but met with no result in identifying the product.    

 

 

On 03/03/2017 at 4:27 AM, snolly50 said:

Wet sand (very, very fine), then a Dremel with a small cloth wheel mounted. The cloth wheel is loaded with a polishing compound. I purchased mine years ago from Europe, but cannot remember the trade name. It was a stiff, clay-like, light tan material that was in a bar form. This approach worked very well. I am sorry i cannot recall the actual polishing product. When this topic previously came arose on the Forum, I searched the Internet but met with no result in identifying the product.    

You may mean Jewelers Rouge that was the final polish product I used when I made gold and silver jewellery.You can get various brands red and tan coloured.

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*public service announcement*
• not only heat and UV radiation, but also visible light can cause rapid degradation
of amber;
• oxidation of terpenoid components, that starts from the surface, is the major cause
of degradation, since oxygen is involved in several processes, such as
depolymerisation, breakdown of terminal unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds and
formation of communic acid from communol;
• amber is sensitive to both high and low relative humidity;
• acidic and alkaline pH conditions can cause chemical changes and surface
deterioration in amber objects.

 

 

 

 

 

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Avoid perfumes,body lotions and hairspray if making into jewellery

53 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

*public service announcement*
• not only heat and UV radiation, but also visible light can cause rapid degradation
of amber;
• oxidation of terpenoid components, that starts from the surface, is the major cause
of degradation, since oxygen is involved in several processes, such as
depolymerisation, breakdown of terminal unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds and
formation of communic acid from communol;
• amber is sensitive to both high and low relative humidity;
• acidic and alkaline pH conditions can cause chemical changes and surface
deterioration in amber objects.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Yvie said:

Jewelers Rouge that was the final polish product I

Jeweler's rouge is a metal polish. I would not use it on a non metal item, but they make all sorts of polish compounds and I suspect there is one just for amber.

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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