Removing Scratches from Quartz and Other Stones: A Hobbyist's Guide

Question
hi,
i do beading as a hobby (not a business), i have many stones, clear quartz, onyx in different colors, Laboridite, some smooth some faceted, all sizes and colors.
many are scratched from not being stored properly.
how can i remove the scratches?  is it possible to do with a dremel?
thank you in advance for helping,
jeanne

Answer
Hi Jeanne,

If these are beads, the best thing would be to buy a rock tumbler and some polishing media.  Follow the directions that come with the unit.

The other way which is more labor intensive would be to dop the bead onto a stick with wax then carefully sand out the scratches with emery type sand paper you would start with 400 grit being real careful then followed by 600 grit, then 1200 grit.  At this point the stone is semi-polished.  Then you finish with cerium oxide polish on felt polishing wheel.  Harder stones would require diamond polish on special laps.

This is why I recommend the tumbler method.  It takes a few days but very little labor.

Regards,

Steven D.Covey