5 Smooth Stones

Chapter Three

CALLING AND COMMISSIONING

J ewelers and Rock Hounds are familiar with a machine called a rock tumbler which is used in the process of making jewelry. It often consists of a plastic jar into which goes a rubber bladder. Various grades of polishing compounds, which are used to smooth and polish stones to be used in making earrings, necklaces, and other items of jewelry, are placed into the bladder and turned by the tumbler. First the coarsest grade of compound is put in the plastic jar along with some water, and the stones which are intended to be polished. The jar is then sealed. This is then placed upon the tumbler which is initialized and left alone to tumble the stones in the gri tt y mixture for the next few weeks. The prescribed time in this fi rst stage might be more or less, depending in part upon how rough the stones were in the beginning of the process. In the second stage the whole jar is emptied and all the stones are rinsed o ff . At this stage the ultimate shape of the stone is set. One must be sure at this stage that the rough edges and sharpness have been removed. If the roughness is not clearly removed then the stones are placed back in the coarsest compound and left to tumble some more as a repeat of stage one. Any stone could have its roughness removed at this stage if the handler is patient enough. If a stone is not allowed to tumble enough time at this stage, it might bring regret at the end of the process for having too sharp of an edge. When this stage is completed properly, the rough edges will have been removed and the stones are much smoother than when they were fi rst placed on the tumbler. In truth though, they are still far from polished. Back into the jar the stones will go, time and again, with fi ner and fi ner grit compound to smooth and polish. When the process is fi nally completed the stones are taken out, rinsed o ff , and admired for their smoothness and shine. Each polished stone is unique, both in shape and in coloration. Each may then be placed in their intended se tt ings to be used for their ultimate purpose.

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