Can someone answer this question?

[G Freeman]

What is a good remedy for polishing rocks at home that wont hurt the minerals on them. Some when wet I can see down in the rock and when dry can't. Thanks.

 

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[mamabear]

Pics would help. If you don't want to put rock in tumbler, I read an article yrs ago about putting polishing grit in a pan & polishing by hand. The guy did it anytime he sat down to watch tv.

 

[hvacker]

I remember reading that meteorites that have been sliced and polished are coated with automatic transmission fluid. Very messy and will attract dust. A lighter oil like WD40 or better yet Endust. They evaporate over time and any residue could be removed with a solvent.
If anyone here knows a reason this shouldn't be done I hope they weigh in as I don't want you to hurt your rocks.

If I read your post right it seemed like you just want to pop the colors for examination.
I've tried Endust and it will enhance the rock like water does.

 

[G Freeman]

Pics would help. If you don't want to put rock in tumbler, I read an article yrs ago about putting polishing grit in a pan & polishing by hand. The guy did it anytime he sat down to watch tv.

December 21 I posted some rocks in rocks and gems to show if you want to check them out, if not I can post some more. Those are the kind if rocks I am talking about. Thank you very much Mamabear.

 

[G Freeman]

I remember reading that meteorites that have been sliced and polished are coated with automatic transmission fluid. Very messy and will attract dust. A lighter oil like WD40 or better yet Endust. They evaporate over time and any residue could be removed with a solvent.
If anyone here knows a reason this shouldn't be done I hope they weigh in as I don't want you to hurt your rocks.

If I read your post right it seemed like you just want to pop the colors for examination.
I've tried Endust and it will enhance the rock like water does.

You are right hvacker, enhancement is what I need. Never tried to polish any before now but I want to. They are so much more beautiful when wet. Thanks.

 

[Red James Cash]

Clean them up good and put a couple of coats of clear lacquer on them.

 

[Eu_citzen]

If you have to I'd also use clear lacquer on them. Although I prefer my specimens as are.

 

[curious kat]

...once by accident I noticed that after putting on some hand lotion (palmers cocobutter) and then handled some rocks it helped show the colors...but don't know if it's safe for them or not? We use it on ourselves but on rocks? Anyone know the answer to that?

 

[mamabear]

Hmm, Curious kat, I know you have to be careful with what comes in contact with opals & pearls, so the same could be true with different rocks also.

 

[Red James Cash]

...once by accident I noticed that after putting on some hand lotion (palmers cocobutter) and then handled some rocks it helped show the colors...but don't know if it's safe for them or not? We use it on ourselves but on rocks? Anyone know the answer to that?

The oil in the hand lotion,you would of got the same effect with water or clear.

 

[loco oro]

i would stay away from petrolium based oils, or solvents, can have a bad reaction to sulphides,and make them deteriate, i am with red on this one ,clean them well, then clear coat them with a laquer , laqs are nasty chemicly ,but when they dry they lose their nastiness,and become stable and wont further deteriorate your specimen, oils tend to keep there penitrating power and will absorb intosome rocks,sulphides are are absorbant do to their own chemical nature,,one time i had a piece ,rather large,that iused a solvent cleaner on, and was happy with the shine ,and transluce, but left it sit like that for weeks before i touched it again, and when i did it crumbled, i figured the solvent penitrated into the micro fractures ,and allowed my pretty rock to crumble into a bunch of tiny pretty rocks. just shareing my experience.

 

[EricTheCat]

I use mineral oil to treat many of the agates I find to bring out detail. Typically I soak them in the mineral oil for about an hour and then I remove them from the mineral oil and put them under a lamp to heat them up with the oil on them also for about an hour. Then I wipe them as dry as I can. So far in my experience I have never regretted it. Many I treated over a year ago still look good to me. Of course, experience could vary with other minerals.