sapphire repair

Hi all:
I have a blue star sapphire set in a 14k white gold ring, its around 20
years old and the gem has some abrasions (excuse my description as i'm not a
gemologist), looks as though it may have been scratched by rough metal or
concrete. Is there a way to repair the stone by polishing, i asked this in a
jewelry store and they told me the sapphire was too soft for
buffing/polishing but i got the sense they were just brushing me off since i
wasnt looking to buy anything.
Can this be professionaly done or is it something i can do with a rotary
tool. Any advice appreciated, tia Wally

wally wrote:

Hi all:
I have a blue star sapphire set in a 14k white gold ring, its around 20
years old and the gem has some abrasions (excuse my description as i'm not a
gemologist), looks as though it may have been scratched by rough metal or
concrete. Is there a way to repair the stone by polishing, i asked this in a
jewelry store and they told me the sapphire was too soft for
buffing/polishing

That is not true. Sapphires are very hard and so it isn´t possible to
polish them with normal goldsmiths polishing tools. You need carborundum
or diamond paste for grinding and polishing. Look for lapidaries. Ther
You will find more information.

but i got the sense they were just brushing me off since i
wasnt looking to buy anything.

:-)

Can this be professionaly done or is it something i can do with a rotary
tool. Any advice appreciated, tia Wally

Better is to send it to a lapidary. It You try it by yourself, you will
have work for days and the result won´t be fine. It´s not really simple.

Best wishes,
Heinrich Butschal


--
www.juwelen.online-boerse.org
www.meister-atelier.de
www.schmuckfabrik.de
www.medico.butschal.de

wally wrote:

Hi all:
I have a blue star sapphire set in a 14k white gold ring, its around 20
years old and the gem has some abrasions (excuse my description as i'm not a
gemologist), looks as though it may have been scratched by rough metal or
concrete. Is there a way to repair the stone by polishing, i asked this in a
jewelry store and they told me the sapphire was too soft for
buffing/polishing but i got the sense they were just brushing me off since i
wasnt looking to buy anything.
Can this be professionaly done or is it something i can do with a rotary
tool. Any advice appreciated, tia Wally

Never go back to that jewelry store again. They do not know what they are
talking about. Sapphire (and it's cousin Ruby) are the hardest stones on the
planet after diamonds. 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, diamonds are 10.

It just so happens that I am now working on remaking a ring that I first made
about 15 years ago, with a star sapphire in it. I may also repolish the stone,
which will be done by a professional stone cutter. Not a problem at all. You
cannot do it yourself however, unless you have the equipment to do it.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com