My first attempt at polishing a marble

[cheese]

This marble was beyond gone. It was lumpy and bumpy and difficult to appreciate. I did not want to display it and I think it had little to no value to a collector. I decided to try to polish it to allow it to be appreciated once again. Here are before and after pics... whaddya think? It's a handmade german latticino swirl marble, about 1 1/2" across and from the mid to late 1800s.

 

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[bottles10]

good job

 

[RJGMC]

HOLY COW!!

That looks so much better! Now you have to find a nice stand to display it on.

Good Job Cheese!

Bob

 

[cheese]

Thanks! Generally polishing a marble is frowned upon and ruins the value, but I think in this case, it was an improvement. It was a marble that I wouldn't have displayed otherwise, which made it basically worthless. I didn't even know it was a rarer type ribbon latticino core until I got to grinding on it and could better see the insides.

 

[Marbleguy]

You did that freehand?

Well you sure did a good job. Looks beautiful. Did you use a Dremel,buffing pad and diamond grit? I recently dug up a beautiful lattacino marble here in the desert but it's surface has been sand blasted. After seeing your success I'm going to try polishing it.

 

[cheese]

No, I used diamond abrasive pads, handheld, from 60 grit up to 3500 grit.

 

[allen]

that polishing really made that marble gorgeous !

 

[Grundestoun]

I was just wondering if you could put marbles into a rock tumbler to be polished or would they just break apart.

 

[cheese]

It will ruin the value unless they are in really bad shape to start with and a desirable type. Even then, hand polishing would be the best option if polishing is to take place, so it can be controlled. Keep in mind most marbles have the colors on the outside, and polishing them will remove part of the outside, probably changing the appearance of the marble, or removing the colors completely. There are folks who can repair a marble with a torch and kiln as well, but the same thing applies as far as values. My polished marble here is probably not worth much, if any, more than it was before polishing. To me it is more valuable because I can display it now.

 

[Grundestoun]

It will ruin the value unless they are in really bad shape to start with and a desirable type. Even then, hand polishing would be the best option if polishing is to take place, so it can be controlled. Keep in mind most marbles have the colors on the outside, and polishing them will remove part of the outside, probably changing the appearance of the marble, or removing the colors completely. There are folks who can repair a marble with a torch and kiln as well, but the same thing applies as far as values. My polished marble here is probably not worth much, if any, more than it was before polishing. To me it is more valuable because I can display it now.

Thanks for the answer. I am new to marble collecting and was just curious. I dont think I will try it since some colors are on the out side. Didn't know that.

 

[idigjars]

What a fantastic job. Congrats! Paul