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FINE GRINDING AND POLISHING OF JADE

Everyone loves and wants Jade Gemstones.

Yet, searching the internet, there are very few available for sale. (Yes, even on Ebay!)

We sell ours almost as soon as they are finished to local Artists, so very few get put on our Web site.

Here is a tutorial to help those Artists' that may wish to start cutting your own.

Enjoy >

Nephrite Jade

Jade slabs & rough @ WWW.Studio182.com

When working a Jade cabochon, the procedure for rough grinding and medium grinding on the 100 grit wheel and 220 grit wheel is the same as you used on any of the harder semi-precious stones. (Cabochon Cutting)

The fine grinding of Jade should be done in two stages.  The first stage uses 400 grit sanding paper and the second stage uses 600 grit sanding paper. Although not always necessary, a third stage uses 1200 grit sanding paper. Since the final sanding is key to obtaining an excellent polish, we tend to incorporate this step in the Studio 182 process.

Jade has the tendency to "orange peel" or "under cut" (Fig 1). Both terms meaning the same. Orange peel is a Jade, or other Gemstone, surface containing many minute pits similar to an Orange rind. If you experience this problem, steps can be taken to eliminate it.

• Sand and polish on a surface with a hard backing to reduce orange peel.
• Polishing with diamond paste often is the best means of eliminating or reducing orange peel.

fig. 1

Most people do not need any sort of visual aid while doing the 400 grit sanding, but when it comes to the final or finish sanding using the 600 grit paper or higher you should wear an Optivisor (or equal) as it is an absolute must that even the minutest scratch or blemish must be removed in the its entirety.  As a matter of fact, when the final sanding is done using a well worn 600 grit belt, strip, or disk, the cab will show a fair polish even before you start the 1200 grit belt or the polish cycle.

If anyone were to say that the following is the only way to polish Jade, he would be way off base, but make no mistake, the following is a very good and very practical way of doing it.  In fact, it is the accepted way of most good Jade workers.

Important Fact to remember: Occasionally a piece of Jade is encountered that cannot be polished by any method. This can occur when the Cabochon comes from the same rough stone or slab. Another Cabochon from that same rough or slab may result in an excellent polish.When that happens, it is the fault of the Jade and not the cutter.

Pay close attention now.  You use the back-side of a dry only sanding belt or sanding strip paper, or even sanding disk paper, not coarser than 320 grit (finer is okay too, but not coarser).  The belt, strip, or disk must be totally worn out on the grit side, and by worn out we mean of no further use as an abrasive.  Even when using a completely worn out belt or strip, you must still “snap-shake” it so that every trace of abrasive is off, front and back.  The worn out belt must be as soft and pliable, and have as much “give” as possible.

You now mix chrome oxide with clean, cool water to the consistency of pancake batter, and brush it on the belt so that the belt is fully coated (turn the drum by hand, do not have the power on).  Also, any water that might have to be added to the drum later must be applied with a spray bottle, and you must be careful to not get too much water on the drum.

You are now ready to polish the Jade cab, and as in all cab sanding and polishing, you must keep the cab in constant rocking and rotating motion.  Don’t stop the rocking-rotating motion for even a split second, or you will not wind up with an even “all over” polish.

Keep as much pressure against the polishing belt as you can, just short of heating the cab to the point that will start to melt the dop wax and allow the cab to fly off the dop stick.  The chrome oxide must not be so wet that it “bunches up” on the cab.  If the polish does pile up on the cab, just let the drum run for a few minutes and it will dry off.  The cab will not polish well at all unless the polish is neither too wet nor too dry.  You will soon learn by experience when it is “just right”.

Visit WWW.Studio182.com for your Jade rough or Jade slab needs.

 

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