Before reaching the store window, jewelry must go through many stages of production. Today we will tell you about where products end up after the foundry.
Grinding
Jewelry cast in metal can hardly be called flawless. This is why they go to the grinding area, where skillful hands jewelers bring the product one step closer to perfection.
Grinding is necessary in order to give the metal surface a certain purity and precise dimensions. So, the craftsmen level the place of the cut sprue, which was used to attach the product to the wax rod of the tree, or remove the flash - that is, excess metal that could have formed during the casting process.
For this, a special machine with a grinding wheel consisting of small carborundum crystals is used. The grinder brings the product to the wheel, “removing” excess metal. To work out the smallest details, a hand tool is used - a drill with many attachments that differ in size and hardness, or a file.
Only after manual grinding does the product pass to the tumbling section.
This jewelry production area resembles a huge kitchen, where in each “pot” something is prepared under the strict guidance of an experienced chef. True, instead of “kitchen utensils” in tumbling there are huge rotating drums, and jewelers play the role of chef.
Tumbling is actually a jewelry cleaning process that combines grinding and polishing. Products are placed in rotating drums with special polishing agents or reagents. Typically, tumbling involves two steps: wet grinding and dry polishing - but for some products only dry finishing is sufficient.
First, the decorations are placed in a rotating drum, into which a buffer solution with reagents is poured. The reagents can be detergents and polishes, as well as a solution of caustic soda, slaked lime, soda ash and some other substances that speed up the cleaning process. At the same time, special small steel balls are placed in the drum.
After a certain time, the contents of the drums are poured into a container that looks like a huge sieve. Everything that is not needed goes away, but the cleaned jewelry remains.
The second stage is dry polishing. The principle of tumbling is the same, only instead of solutions, dry abrasives are poured into the drums: ceramics, porcelain, plastic, corundum and even shells walnut, which, according to jewelers, cannot be compared with any synthetic material. The buried figures have the shape of a pyramid, cone, cylinder or ball.
Specialists not only load and remove products, but also monitor the time: it is important to correctly set the operating parameters of the equipment and not damage the metal and design elements of the jewelry.
Polishing
To “brine the shine” the product is sent to polishers.
Using a polishing machine or manually using a drill with special attachments, jewelers make jewelry incredibly smooth and shiny.
Unlike sanding, polishing does not use harsh abrasives, but only smooth or soft materials such as felt, felt or wool. Before starting work, the product must be degreased. To reduce friction and remove possible fine chips, so-called polishing water (soap solution with ammonia) is used.
First, the product is processed with inside(if necessary) and then outside. The polisher, as it were, draws strokes on the surface of the metal, first in one direction, and then “across” so that there are no stripes.
Only after this the decoration acquires a shine worthy precious metal. It must be said that some products are polished not only at this stage of production, but also later, after the stones are set.
Any piece of jewelry fades over time, loses its original shine and becomes no longer as beautiful as it once was. In this case jewelry polishing will help restore the jewelry to its former shine, and it will look like new again.
Features of jewelry polishing
Jewelry can be polished in two ways - manually or using a special grinding machine. The polishing method is selected based on the characteristics of the product.
Manual polishing is carried out using a special drill. This method is used when finely crafted jewelry made from several parts needs polishing and in other similar cases. This method of polishing allows you to avoid damage to the product during the process; the master carefully cleans all elements of the decoration.
Polishing on a grinding machine is suitable for products of laconic design - smooth rings and bracelets, medallions and so on. Using a grinding machine, it is possible to polish jewelry quickly and at the same time with high quality.
For the highest quality and safest polishing of a product, special polishing brushes and abrasive pastes are used, designed specifically for polishing metal.
A number of products have electroplating. In this case, the jewelry is first polished, and then the coating is restored. Our workshop has everything necessary to perform both operations efficiently and quickly.
In addition, after polishing, the product must be thoroughly cleaned. In the “GoldLazer” workshop for effective cleaning We use ultrasonic baths for jewelry.
Jewelry polishing in Moscow
The GoldLazer workshop is one of the best jewelry workshops in Moscow. We carry out the entire range at a high professional level.
Very popular in our workshop jewelry polishing service, since sooner or later any product made of precious metal needs this operation. Over time, gold and silver become dull and stop being shiny. In addition, minor scratches and other damage inevitably occur during operation. As a result, the jewelry ceases to be attractive and you no longer want to wear it. Polishing jewelry in the GoldLazer workshop allows you to breathe a second life into your favorite jewelry.
Our craftsmen have extensive experience in polishing gold and silver, in the workshop there is all the equipment necessary for polishing and Consumables. Therefore, polishing of jewelry is always carried out with the highest quality, and the products begin to shine as before.
If necessary, we carry out urgent polishing, which takes the shortest possible time.
The cost of polishing a product depends on its features.
Jewelry polishing is the process of obtaining a completely smooth surface. When worn, any piece of jewelry becomes scratched. They are sometimes sensitive to the touch, but are especially visible under a microscope. Protruding defects in gold and silver under a magnifying glass have the appearance of rolling hills.
Even if the product has no visible defects, it will fade over time. Gold items have this drawback, which after some time acquire a matte color. Polishing gold is necessary in order to remove fat deposits from the surface that form in the form of a film. If these are rings, then such a coating can cause allergies. The question immediately arises: what and how to polish gold so as not to spoil the jewelry. At home, you can use special pastes. If they are absent, lipstick will do.
The silverware present in the house darkens over time. Other things made of silver also change color. There is a need to polish silver at home to restore its original shine. Often scratches appear on silver, which can also be removed on your own by treating the surface with paste or a nail file.
Gold and silver are noble metals, so they must be stored with care. They are kept in wooden boxes, upholstered inside with soft material.
There are several ways to give silver its original shine. For this, improvised means are used, which are often found at home.
The essence of the methods is as follows:
- The silver product is placed in a container into which 2 tbsp is poured. milk, 5 tablespoons each of vinegar and lemon juice. Exposure time – 12 hours. Then the silver is washed with water and wiped with a rag. The decoration shines again.
- Take a metal container with a volume of 1 liter, the bottom of which is covered with foil. A silver ring is placed inside, water is poured in and 1 tsp is thrown in. salt and soda. The container is placed on the fire and the contents are brought to a boil. The subsequent holding time is 1 hour. Then the ring is removed and wiped with a rag.
- The silver is sprinkled with window cleaner. After wiping with a cloth it shines again.
- Mix crushed chalk with ammonia. The resulting paste is applied to the dark surface of the silver. This product is also replaced by tooth powder. At the end of the procedure, cleansing is done with a regular brush. This method is applicable for silver chains.
Silver polishing methods used at home include: safe procedures. The same cannot be said about store-bought chemicals, which can cause skin irritation and allergies.
DIY gold polishing
At home, gold polishing is carried out after preliminary cleaning. For this, ammonia or soap solution is used. After the procedure, the surface can already acquire the desired shine and it is enough to polish it with a soft cloth. If this does not work, then the following methods are used:
- Shampoo is added to the water, and gold is placed in the solution for 9 hours. During this time, the fatty film is removed from it. All that remains is to clean it with a toothbrush.
- Use of a 25% ammonia solution. Gold is placed at 10 o'clock. It is necessary that the entire decoration is completely covered with the solution. Then the product is washed and dried.
- A special paste is made independently. Take grated soap shavings, Vaseline and chalk in equal proportions. Everything is mixed until a paste is formed, which is applied to the gold using a toothbrush.
- GOI paste is purchased and applied to the felt product. Then unidirectional movements are made with light pressure on the gold jewelry.
- As an option, use lipstick. After applying it to the surface, the gold is polished with a cotton swab.
Polishing a gold ring at home causes certain complications. Sometimes this is a non-ferrous metal made of white gold. The peculiarity is that the base is ordinary gold, and a thin layer of rhodium is applied to the surface. Thanks to the presence of such an element, the decoration acquires shine. Despite its increased hardness, rhodium wears off quickly, so white gold is polished very carefully.
When working with such a coating, pastes should not contain abrasive components. They are based on a gel structure. Rubbing with a brush is also not allowed. It is replaced by a soft cloth.
The following methods are used as options for polishing gold with a white surface:
- Sugar water is prepared in the following proportion: 200 ml of water and 1 dessert liter. Sahara. The ring is kept in the solution for no longer than an hour.
- For 0.5 liters of water add 1 tbsp. spoon of detergent. The solution is brought to a boil, and the ring is placed there for 1 hour.
How to fix scratches on silver items
While it’s easy to add shine to the dull surface of silver, getting rid of scratches is more problematic. They often appear as a fine mesh of intersecting lines. There are several ways to remove them:
- using polishes and abrasive pastes;
- exposure to sandpaper;
- using a nail file;
- using silicone rings.
Using pastes
Abrasive pastes can be used as a silver polish. The method is considered long and labor-intensive. The paste is applied to felt and rubbed into the scratched surface of the silver for a long time. This method helps in case of shallow cuts. With prolonged use, the micron layer of silver is erased and the surface is leveled.
The table shows the names of pastes used to work with silver.
Using Sandpaper
Shallow scratches from the surface of silver are removed with sandpaper. For this purpose, the smallest variety is used - zero. The work is carried out carefully, without pressure, so as not to spoil the silver product. After this, GOI paste is applied, then the surface is well polished.
Another option is polishing paper. It has different degrees of abrasive grain. They begin processing with large grains and gradually go down. This paper is convenient because it bends easily. It becomes possible to process hard-to-reach places.
Nail file
To remove minor scratches, it is convenient to use a nail file. This refers to the tool with which the nail plate is processed. The device is convenient for this type of work because it has a soft coating on the surface. It is better to use a narrow tool shape so that you can grind in all places of the product.
Application of silicone rings
In this case, a grinding machine is required. The silicone rings used have different degrees of grain. First, a coarse-grain attachment is placed on the rotating rod and the silver surface is polished. Then the nozzle is changed to a medium-grain one, and at the last stage the finest one is put on.
Jewelry polishing is a do-it-yourself process. However, care should be taken not to damage the decoration. This is especially true for white gold with a thin layer of rhodium on the surface.
Do you have any successful experience polishing jewelry? Be sure to tell us about it in the comments to the article.
You have a beautiful piece of white gold jewelry, but over time it has developed a lot of scratches. Can it be polished? It is possible, but not always this - good idea. Let's see why.
How is white gold made?
White gold is actually made from yellow gold mixed with white metal. However, even this alloy still has a yellow tint.
This is why it is typically coated with a layer of rhodium, which is the color people are actually used to seeing when looking at jewelry.
So in reality, white gold is an alloy of yellow, plated with rhodium; underneath, your jewelry is actually yellowish.
Why is polishing white gold bad?
While rhodium plating makes the piece look shiny and white, it is not a great candidate for polishing precisely because of this finish.
Every time you take your jewelry to a professional, your piece is polished using an abrasive material that removes a tiny layer from the surface of the jewelry.
This is usually done using a machine that has a rotating sanding disc. The process of smoothing your ring removes a microscopic layer of metal from the ring until the surface is smoother.
And as you might have guessed, each time your jewelry is polished, the process removes some of the rhodium plating, little by little.
If the top layer of your jewelry has already worn away after long wear, polishing can remove whatever layer of metallization is still there, revealing the yellowish alloy underneath. 
Even if the piece is not very worn, it may have deep scratches that require heavier polishing to remove, removing much of the rhodium.
What to do if your product is scratched?
But if white gold isn't the best candidate for polishing, what should you do if it does get scratched?
First of all, you should not polish your jewelry too often. Instead, wait until there are a lot of scratches and then take them to a jeweler for polishing.
At the same time, you can use a polishing cloth to keep your white gold shiny.
Polishing gold jewelry at home.
You can polish your gold rings and other jewelry at home using a special polishing cloth, which is available in most stores.
Please note that this method will only buff out very light scratches - if your jewelry is deeply scratched, it is best to have it professionally polished.
Make sure your jewelry is clean before using the polishing kit. You can wipe the products with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water.
Once you have cleaned and dried your piece, you can rub it with a cloth until it shines. If your gold jewelry contains gems, do not rub them as you may damage them.
This is not exactly a professional polish, but polishing your piece with a special polishing cloth will restore some of the original shine to your jewelry.
Professional polishing.
If your gold jewelry has a lot of scratches, some of which are deep, then it is best to take it to a professional.
Jewelers use polishing materials that are more abrasive than a regular polishing cloth, so professional polishing is more effective.
One of the inevitable downsides to polishing gold jewelry is that the process involves removing a tiny layer from the surface. This is why too many polishing sessions can wear out your gold jewelry.
How often should jewelry be polished?
Due to the abrasive nature of polishing, you don't need to go to the jeweler every time you notice a few visible scratches.
In general, polishing your jewelry more than once or twice a year will cause the rhodium plating to fade faster. In most cases, polishing your jewelry a couple of times a year is sufficient.
If you wear your jewelry very often, it will scratch faster and you may want to polish it more often. However, in this case, be prepared to pay more money to restore the color when the coating wears off.
As for polishing items with fabric, you can do it more often since these fabrics are not as abrasive, once a month or once every two to three months is an acceptable frequency.
How to restore color?
So, when the bottom layer of a piece of jewelry is exposed and it looks yellowish, what can you do to return it to white?
Actually, yes - you can always rhodium plate it again.
Almost every jeweler provides this service for a fee.
However, keep in mind that this may cost you $20-$50 or more.
Before you decide where to replate your jewelry, ask the jeweler about the method used and how thick the plating will be.
Why can polishing be harmful to your rings and other jewelry?
The biggest problem with polishing is that it primarily works by abrading the surface of the jewelry.
It is true that the amount of metal removed in the process is simply negligible and one polishing session cannot cause significant damage to it. However, after your jewelry has been polished repeatedly, the effect accumulates and the structure of your jewelry becomes weaker.
When it comes to rings, the most affected area when polishing is the frame, as it consists of small parts that are often very thin.
For example, if you have a serrated stone setting, the teeth themselves become thinner and shorter after each polishing of the ring.
This will also happen to other parts of the frame, and over time the frame will become increasingly weaker.
Once the frame of your ring loosens, the gemstones it holds will become loose. After some time, there is a high risk that they will fall out of the frame.
Jewelry should be polished no more than a few times a year. If you do this more often, you will soon begin to notice Negative consequences polishing
How to avoid scratches? 
You should get used to the fact that your jewelry will always have a few scratches, especially if it is made of a softer metal such as gold or silver.
It goes without saying that you need to protect your gold jewelry from shocks and collisions to avoid scratches.
If you want your ring to last longer, choose a piece made from a more durable metal such as platinum.
Platinum also scratches, but much more slowly than gold, and even when it does, it does not lose as much material, so polishing scratches in platinum jewelry is not as harmful to it.
Gold items gradually fade and lose their original appearance. Therefore, you need to know what to polish gold with and how often to perform such a procedure. There is an opinion that this is just a waste of money and time. But gold polishing is still needed for the following reasons:
- For reasons of aesthetics, because a chain or earrings with visible stains look unpleasant.
- No one has yet canceled hygienic requirements: fat that forms a film on jewelry promotes the growth of bacteria, which can lead to inflammation and allergies.
How to polish gold at home, so as not only to return it to its original shine, but also without spending a lot of money? – this question is asked by many people.
There are simple ways:
- Hot water with added shampoo: soak the jewelry in this solution for 7–9 hours to remove the grease film, and then polish it with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- A solution of 25% ammonia, which can be found in a pharmacy. Soak the jewelry for 10 hours, making sure that no jewelry elements protrude from the solution.
- A special paste for cleaning gold, it can be purchased at finished form or do it yourself. To do this, you will need Vaseline, white chalk (it must be ground into powder), soap shavings, and water. Everything is mixed, then carefully, so as not to scratch the product, apply the paste to the decoration with a toothbrush.
- GOI paste for polishing gold items (sold in jewelry stores), which is applied to felt.
- Lipstick can be used to polish scratches and abrasions using a cotton pad.
After cleaning and polishing gold jewelry, they should be rinsed well with tap water and then dried.
Decide for yourself how to polish gold based on which of the listed methods is most suitable for you. But you should pay attention to the fact that you cannot use soda and tooth powder to clean and polish products, because they, having abrasive properties, can cause scratches.
Useful tips 
In order for gold to retain its bright appearance and not change color, it needs to be looked after. Here are a few useful tips care jewelry made of gold.
- A solution of water, vinegar and onion juice/sugar will help remove the greasy film from a gold ring or chain. The jewelry is left in the solution for 8–10 hours, after which it is wiped with a soft cloth.
- If the gold is decorated with a stone, you should not clean it with a toothbrush; it is better to wipe it with cologne, soaking a cotton pad in it.
- Before you start cleaning, washing dishes or washing clothes by hand, it is preferable to remove jewelry so as not to harm it with the chemicals used to do housework.
- To once again don’t think about: “how to polish gold at home?” - then remove jewelry before going to bed, as sebaceous and sweat glands, dead particles of epithelium will remain on the jewelry.
- You should not wear gold jewelry while undergoing cosmetic or medical procedures because greasy creams and ointments will tarnish the metal, and medications such as iodine may leave stains.
- Gold jewelry should be stored in a dark place so that they do not touch each other. It’s a good idea to add a moisture absorber to them; excessive air humidity has an adverse effect on the surface of the products.
- The number of procedures is affected by how often you wear gold jewelry. It is enough to clean them once every two months to make your jewelry delight with its shine.
Now you know how to polish gold at home without the help of professionals, you just need to have one of the above tools on hand.
