Rocks Polished with Tumbler

[Adventure Wolf]

I got a little sister, and she likes to collect rocks. She saved up 160 dollars and bought a tumbler a couple of years ago. She thinks that a rock polished with a tumbler is more valuable then one that isn't. I believe that a non polished rock is more valuable when it comes to monetary values.

Recently her and I were in the mountains and collected nearly 200 garnetes. She wants to put them in the tumbler and sell them. I want to just sell them.

Which one will give us the best value?

 

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[krazyace]

I would polish some and leave some raw. I think it really depends on who your selling them to though. By the way I know nothing about gems and this is just my opinion.

 

[BigDan]

Polished will bring more to the general public...

...but unpolished will bring more to a "collector". If you have a nice piece, rough, I'd leave it rough. If you have a piece which isn't particularly outstanding, I'd try polishing it as you can bring out aspects you can't see in the rough.

I just got into tumbling this January. I've polished 7 lbs. of Lake Superior Agates which came from an auction for $15.00, they're worth more than that now.

Regarding garnets, I've got 'em "cooking" as we speak. I'm losing maybe 15% of their size, and their going to come out very pretty. Will make for some nice homemade jewelry. I tried like mad to find a lapidary guy around here (Mid-Illinois) first...and had no luck. I don't want to send them away.

I've also got some amethyst, citrine, and assorted quartz "cooking" in my other barrel. Just cleaning 'em up. No rough grit at all. Might lose, 5% of their size.

Give me a couple weeks and I'll post the finished products. I assume, if your sister has been doing this for a couple years, she knows more than I the best way to shine the things up. I took alot of time to research the web before trying.

 

[Adventure Wolf]

My sister is only 14 thou, so I don't trust here 100 percent.

I like your idea thou about keeping the ones that look good rough and polishing the ones that don't. I think that's what we are going to do.

 

[BigDan]

My sister is only 14 thou, so I don't trust here 100 percent.

I like your idea thou about keeping the ones that look good rough and polishing the ones that don't. I think that's what we are going to do.

I tested ONE garnet with my agates. Dumb because of the slight difference in hardness. I used 80 grit, 120 grit, prepolish of about 300 grit and polish of 550. It came out really pretty but the 80 grit took more off than I wanted. I would suggest asking her to hold off a couple weeks and she can see how my garnets turn out. Used five days only of 120 grit and that was enough to clean 'em up and round the edges. Then five in the 300 grit. I've got them in 550 now and after seven days of that I'm going seven days of 1,000 grit! (It's killing me waiting) We'll see if they are pretty and shiny enough....me thinks they'll look pretty good.

And, if I make some horrible mistake, at least she won't repeat it. Here are the agates I tumbled, oh and...a "Where's Waldo"..one hidden ruby I bought off of Cappy.

 

[Adventure Wolf]

Alright BigDan, I'll do that. Keep me posted.

 

[Cappy Z.]

And, if I make some horrible mistake, at least she won't repeat it. Here are the agates I tumbled, oh and...a "Where's Waldo"..one hidden ruby I bought off of Cappy.(BIGDAN)

..and here's Waldo!