Gemstone material that has not been extensively cut and polished is referred to generally as rough. Rough material that has been lightly hammered to knock off brittle, fractured material is said to have been cobbed
All gems are cut and polished by progressive abrasion using finer and finer grits of harder substances. Diamond, the hardest naturally occurring substance, has a Mohs hardness of 10 and is used as an abrasive to cut and polish a wide variety of materials, including diamond itself.
Silicon carbide, a manmade compound of silicon and carbon with a Mohs hardness of 9.5, is also widely used for cutting softer gemstones. Other compounds, such as cerium oxide, tin oxide, chromium oxide, and aluminum oxide, are frequently used in polishing gemstones.
Some Lapidary Techniques are:
- Sawing: 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
- Grinding: Grinding, usually with silicon carbide wheels or diamond-impregnated wheels, is used to shape gemstones to a desired rough form, called a preform
- Sanding: Sanding is similar to grinding but uses finer abrasives
- Lapping: Lapping is very similar to grinding and sanding, except that it is performed on one side of a rotating or vibrating flat disk known as a lap
- Polishing: Very fine grades of diamond (50,000 to 100,000 mesh) can be used to polish a wide variety of materials
- Drilling: When a gem cutter desires a hole in or through a gemstone (e.g., a bead), a small rotating rod or tube with a diamond tip, or a slurry of silicon carbide and coolant, is used to drill through the stone.
- Tumbling: Large quantities of roughly shaped stones are often tumbled, i.e., turned at a slow speed in a rotating barrel with abrasives and water for extended periods
About KHANNA GEMS
Khanna Gems Private Limited is the hallmark of quality gemstones and jewelry and is one of the most trusted names in gemology. It is the gold standard in certified gemstones and diamonds. Established in 1987, Khanna gems has been serving people from all walks of life and satisfying customers by providing quality service and products at an affordable and valid price.Khanna gems gets gems and diamonds certified by IGI-GTL, an outfit of Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council, which is sponsored by Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India.
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