5/30/2023 0 Comments Gemstone polishing toolsGrinding, usually with silicon carbide wheels or diamond-impregnated wheels, is used to shape gemstones to a desired rough form, called a preform. A liquid such as oil or water is used to wash away cutting debris and keep the stone and the sawblade from overheating, which could cause damage to both the stone and the sawblade. In most gem sawing, a thin circular blade usually composed of steel, copper, or a phosphor bronze alloy impregnated along the outer edge with diamond grit and rotating at several thousand surface feet per minute literally scratches its way through a gemstone. There are several techniques used in lapidaries. All gems are cut and polished by progressive abrasion using finer and finer grits of harder substances. Rough material that has been lightly hammered to knock off brittle, fractured material is said to have been cobbed. Gemstone material that has not been extensively cut and polished is referred to generally as rough. The place relating to engraving, cutting, or polishing of stones and gems is known as a lapidary, while a person who cuts and polishes gems is called a gem cutter or a lapidarist.
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