Jewelry Finishing Techniques

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Using Abrasives to Finish Gold Sanding and emery papers are used in the form of hand- held strips and discs spun on rotary wheels. Jewelers use a wide variety of grits ranging from coarse to extremely fine in order to form and shape precious metal. Through the use of abrasives, a smooth pre-polished finish can be achieved before the jewelry is polished on soft muslin wheels.

Grinding to shape Platinum & Gold Grinding is done by using hand-held, flexible shaft tools with interchangeable grinding stones, discs, and tips in various grits. Precision grinding is a form of carving and is often used esthetically to shape and stylize precious metal. Through precision grinding, the jeweler can cut, trim, and sculpt precious metals to desired forms.

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Manual Polishing Jewelry In many cases, jewelry polishing has to be done by hand in order to preserve stones, patinas, or finishes on the item. In these cases, we use hand-held tools with felt or muslin interchangeable wheels and bits. The miniature wheels can be charged with various polishing mediums by rotating them in different compounds. The high-speed wheels are carefully guided on the metal’s surface to remove scratches and brighten the jewelry, while the craftsman manages tool speeds with foot-controlled rheostats.

Brush Polishing Jewelry Various polishing wheels are used on the large buffing machines to remove scratches and brighten precious metals. On this gold casting, a bristle wheel charged with a cutting agent called tripoli is used to polish deep between the prongs on this gold casting.

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Wheel Polishing Jewelry Large stitched muslin wheels are used to apply various compounds to precious metals to bring out the maximum luster. Each type of metal requires different compounds and wheels to cut through scratches and properly brighten it. The buffing machines are linked to air handlers to control dust and manage precious metal recovery.

How to Clean Fine Jewelry When materials are not too delicate, they are best cleaned through the use of steam and ultrasonic. The first step after polishing is to soak the jewelry in a high-frequency cleaning tank called an ultrasonic. Once the residue and polishing greases have been removed, the jewelry is cleaned by steaming the remaining debris away with a high-pressure steam nozzle.

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Jewelry Designs is the area’s leader in retail and manufacturing of fine diamond jewelry. Jewelry Designs is located in Danbury, Connecticut in western Fairfield county bordering Westchester and Putnam counties on the New York state line. Click here for directions. Click here for store information.