拋光寶石

以漸進磨料序列、適當拋光劑、與正確之研磨盤或墊，將已切之寶石拋至光學品質之終飾，含弧面石與刻面石。

適用時機

• 弧面石或刻面石已切製完畢，待拋光
• 須為特定寶石擇正確拋光劑與盤
• 排除拋光無法達全光澤之故障（橘皮、霧、刮痕）
• 對表面有磨損或刮痕之既有寶石重拋

輸入

• 必要：已切待拋光之寶石（弧面已圓滑成形，或刻面已切妥）
• 必要：物種辨識（拋光劑與盤之擇定取決於材質）
• 選擇性：附拋光輪／墊之磨石機（弧面石用）
• 選擇性：附拋光盤之刻面機（刻面石用）
• 選擇性：拋光劑：氧化鈰、氧化鋁、鑽石膏（各微米級）、氧化錫、氧化鉻
• 選擇性：拋光盤：錫、銅、陶瓷、Batt（合成）、BATT 盤、Corian、Lucite、皮革、毛氈
• 選擇性：10 倍放大鏡或寶石學顯微鏡，作品質檢視

步驟

步驟一：表面備齊

確認寶石之表面於切製階段已適當備齊。

Pre-Polish Surface Check:
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Check              | Requirement                              |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Previous grit      | All scratches from the cutting stage     |
| scratches          | must be removed by the final grit        |
|                    | (typically 1200 or 3000)                 |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Surface uniformity | No flat spots on cabochons, no uneven    |
|                    | facets on faceted stones                 |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Cleanliness        | Stone thoroughly cleaned between grits   |
|                    | and before polishing. Grit contamination |
|                    | is the #1 cause of polish failure        |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Dop security       | Stone securely dopped — shifting during  |
|                    | polish destroys facet geometry           |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+

1. 於 10 倍放大下檢視寶石
2. 留意切製階段所遺之刮痕——呈平行線狀
3. 若仍有刮痕，回退至相應磨度後再拋
4. 徹底清潔寶石：超音波清洗，或以洗碗精與水刷
5. 清潔雙手、黏棒與工作區——磨料污染易傳

預期： 於拋前磨度下無刮痕之表面，徹底潔淨且黏附穩固。指甲撫之應如玻璃般滑。

失敗時： 於細磨持續打磨後仍見刮痕者，寶石可能具方向性硬度（剛玉與藍晶常見）。試改變打磨方向。若係污染，全面清潔並換水。

步驟二：拋前序列（弧面石）

對弧面石，依序通過拋前各磨度。

Cabochon Pre-Polish Sequence:
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| Stage| Grit      | Purpose                                  |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| 1    | 220       | Shape and dome (cutting stage — done)    |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| 2    | 600       | Remove 220 scratches, refine shape       |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| 3    | 1200      | Remove 600 scratches, smooth surface     |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| 4    | 3000      | Remove 1200 scratches (optional but      |
|      | (or 1500) | recommended for hard stones like agate)  |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+
| 5    | 8000      | Pre-polish (some machines include this)   |
|      | (or 14000)| Fine diamond paste on appropriate pad     |
+------+-----------+------------------------------------------+

TIME PER GRIT: Spend equal time at each stage. Rushing a grit
stage means scratches carry forward and become visible after
polishing. A typical cabochon takes 3-5 minutes per grit stage.

1. 依序通過各磨度——絕不跳級
2. 各階段於放大下檢視，確認前級刮痕悉除再進
3. 於各級之間徹底清潔寶石與雙手
4. 整面維持一致之壓力與動作
5. 持續水流以防熱聚

預期： 完成拋前序列後，寶石應有均勻之緞面，於 10 倍放大下無刮痕。

失敗時： 若於某磨度下刮痕仍存，於該級繼續，勿前進。深刮無法清除，回退一級重磨。粗磨之污染為持續刮痕之最常見原因。

步驟三：擇拋光劑與盤

依寶石物種擇正確之拋光劑與盤。

Polishing Compound Guide:
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Compound          | Best For                                 |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Cerium oxide      | Quartz family (agate, jasper, amethyst,  |
|                   | chalcedony), feldspar, obsidian          |
|                   | Mix: paste consistency with water        |
|                   | Lap/pad: leather, felt, or Batt          |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Diamond paste     | Universal — works on everything          |
| (50,000 mesh /    | Essential for corundum, spinel, topaz,   |
| 0.25-0.5 micron)  | garnet, and other hard stones            |
|                   | Lap: tin, copper, ceramic, Corian        |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Aluminum oxide    | Corundum (ruby, sapphire), spinel,       |
| (0.3 micron)      | chrysoberyl                              |
|                   | Lap: ceramic, tin, wax                   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Tin oxide          | Quartz varieties, opal (gentle polish)  |
|                   | Lap: leather, felt, Lucite              |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Chromium oxide    | Jade (jadeite, nephrite), emerald        |
| (green compound)  | Lap: leather                             |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Linde A           | Corundum, spinel — traditional choice    |
| (aluminum oxide)  | Lap: wax, ceramic, tin                   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+

Polishing Lap Guide (Faceted Stones):
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Lap Material      | Use                                      |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Tin (type metal)  | General-purpose polish lap. Good for     |
|                   | most stones with diamond or alumina      |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Copper             | Diamond polish for hard stones          |
|                   | (corundum, spinel, topaz)                |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Ceramic (BATT,    | Diamond polish. Forgiving, good for     |
| Darkside, Last    | beginners. Works on most materials       |
| Lap)              |                                          |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Corian (solid     | Oxide polishes. Good for quartz family   |
| surface)          |                                          |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Lucite/Plexiglass | Oxide polish for quartz, softer stones   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Leather/felt      | Cabochon polishing. Cerium oxide or      |
|                   | tin oxide                                |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------+

1. 使拋光劑與寶石物種相配
2. 擇適當之盤或墊
3. 對未知或罕見之石，鑽石膏配陶瓷盤為最穩之起點
4. 備劑：氧化物以水調為稀膏；鑽石膏少量塗於盤
5. 將劑均勻塗於盤——過量易致「橘皮」紋理

預期： 適合該物種之劑＋盤組合。錯配將浪費時間並產出次佳之終飾。

失敗時： 若標準劑首試未見良光，試：(1) 換盤材，(2) 用更細之劑，或 (3) 減壓。某些石對拋光速度敏感——試降轉速。皆不奏效時，鑽石膏配錫或陶瓷幾乎適用任何材質。

步驟四：終拋

執行拋光流程。

Polishing Technique:

CABOCHON POLISHING:
1. Apply compound to the leather/felt wheel
2. Run the wheel at moderate speed (lower than grinding)
3. Hold the stone lightly — REDUCE pressure compared to grinding
4. Move the stone across the wheel surface with gentle sweeping motion
5. Polish for 2-5 minutes, checking progress with a loupe
6. Add compound sparingly — too much creates orange peel

FACETED STONE POLISHING:
1. Charge the polishing lap with compound
2. Set the SAME angle as the cutting stage for each facet tier
3. Lower the stone gently onto the spinning lap
4. Polish each facet with light, consistent pressure
5. Check each facet under a loupe before moving to the next
6. Re-charge the lap periodically but do not over-charge

SPEED AND PRESSURE:
- Polishing speed: 50-75% of cutting speed
- Pressure: LIGHT — let the compound do the work
- Heavy pressure causes heat, orange peel, and facet rounding
- On faceted stones, heavy pressure rounds facet edges ("soft meets")

1. 將劑塗於盤／墊
2. 設正確角度（刻面石）或於弧頂角度握持（弧面石）
3. 以輕而均勻之壓力拋光
4. 每 1-2 分鐘以 10 倍放大檢視進度
5. 持續至全光澤且無餘刮
6. 終洗：徹底清除全部劑渣

預期： 完整拋光之表面，刻面石呈鏡面光澤，弧面石呈深而均勻之光澤。10 倍放大下無刮痕。刻面邊緣銳利、相接清晰。

失敗時： 常見問題與解：

• 橘皮（紋理表面）：劑過量、壓過大或盤已污。清潔盤並少量重塗
• 持續刮痕：粗磨污染。全面清潔，檢查劑是否污染，重拋
• 軟相接（刻面圓邊）：壓過大。減壓並改用較硬之盤
• 霧（無全光澤）：劑與材質不合，或劑過乾。換劑或加水／延展劑

步驟五：品質評估

於放大下檢視已成石。

Final Quality Checklist:
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Criterion          | Standard                                 |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Lustre             | Full, even lustre across all surfaces    |
|                    | No dull patches or haze                  |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Scratches          | None visible under 10x magnification     |
|                    | Check under multiple light angles        |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Orange peel        | None — surface should be optically flat  |
|                    | on each facet / smoothly curved on cabs  |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Facet edges        | Sharp and well-defined (faceted stones)  |
| (faceted)          | No rounding or "soft meets"              |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Dome uniformity    | Smooth, even curvature (cabochons)       |
| (cabochons)        | No flat spots or high points             |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Cleanliness        | All compound residue removed             |
|                    | Stone cleaned ultrasonically or by hand  |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+

1. 徹底清潔寶石——殘留劑可能偽裝為光澤
2. 於明亮之指向光源下從多角度檢視
3. 以 10 倍放大檢殘餘刮痕
4. 刻面石：逐刻面檢視，並驗證相接精度
5. 弧面石：驗證弧頂反射出單一未變形之光點（「光回測試」）
6. 記錄終重與尺寸

預期： 一顆具專業級拋光之寶石——全光澤、10 倍下無刮、刻面邊銳或弧頂順、無殘餘。可供鑲、展或售。

失敗時： 若特定區未過檢，刻面石可單面補拋；弧面石可對特定區回拋。除非缺陷遍及，勿全石重拋。

驗證

• 拋前表面於開拋前已無刮
• 各磨度間皆已清潔寶石與設備
• 已為該物種擇正確拋光劑
• 已用適當之盤或墊
• 全程維持輕壓
• 終檢於 10 倍放大下無刮
• 全表面達全光澤
• 刻面邊銳（刻面石）或弧頂順（弧面石）
• 終洗已除全部劑渣

常見陷阱

• 磨料污染：拋光失敗最常見之單一原因。一粒 220 級磨料於拋光盤上即生深刮。各階段間務求極度潔淨
• 壓過大：重壓生熱（可裂石）、致橘皮、磨圓刻面邊。讓劑去做事——壓力應僅略大於石身自重
• 劑過量：盤過載使生漿層，致橘皮而非平拋。少量塗布，定期重塗，不要堆載
• 物種錯配劑：氧化鈰於石英佳，於剛玉差。鑽石膏萬用但貴。劑配石。
• 省略檢視：宣告拋光完竣前，務必於 10 倍下檢視。肉眼難察之缺陷，鑲入飾品或被買家檢視時即顯。

相關技能

• cut-gemstone —— 切製階段須妥成方可入拋；自切製帶來之刮痕無法僅靠拋光修復
• appraise-gemstone —— 拋光品質直接影響寶石鑑價之「切」等級，尤其輝度與表面終飾之評估