Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:32 pm Posts: 1747 Location: Florida, United States
Victoria Raynaud wrote:
I need to polish pearls for research purposes. I cut the pearl in two, and then I have to polish the flat surface to see the internal structure. What lap and oxide would you recommend using ? Thanks, Victoria Raynaud
0-1/2 micron polycrystalline diamond on the Lightside lap will work for polishing.
I need to polish pearls for research purposes. I cut the pearl in two, and then I have to polish the flat surface to see the internal structure. What lap and oxide would you recommend using ? Thanks, Victoria Raynaud
0-1/2 micron polycrystalline diamond on the Lightside lap will work for polishing.
I'm worried that the diamond will pollute the surface of pearl
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:32 pm Posts: 1747 Location: Florida, United States
Victoria Raynaud wrote:
thomas.adamas wrote:
Victoria Raynaud wrote:
I need to polish pearls for research purposes. I cut the pearl in two, and then I have to polish the flat surface to see the internal structure. What lap and oxide would you recommend using ? Thanks, Victoria Raynaud
0-1/2 micron polycrystalline diamond on the Lightside lap will work for polishing.
I'm worried that the diamond will pollute the surface of pearl
And you are not worried that an oxide would contaminate the surface? Aragonite or Aragonite/Calcite cemented together with Conchiolin = Pearl Do you think that an oxide could react or complex with a carbonate? Does Diamond chemically react or complex with carbonates or organic compounds at room temperature?
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:04 pm Posts: 1642 Location: Walnut Creek, CA
I'm not Victoria, but I'm pretty sure she means not having loose grit/polishing agent in voids in the sample. Like the SiC grit you sometimes see in poorly prepared petrographic thin sections.
It would probably more helpful to know what she is planning to do with the sample, i.e. if she needs a thin section or just a shallow cut of a pearl surface, if the use of resins would be a problem for the experimental technique(s) she wants to use, etc.
Sample prep for scientific measurements is a wide topic...
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:32 pm Posts: 1747 Location: Florida, United States
Victoria Raynaud wrote:
By polluted I mean visually polluted, like having black dirt stuck into small cavities. The oxides don't get that black, and I believe, are much easy to remove compare to the oil base diamond powder. The samples will be mainly for photos/photomicrography.
Perhaps you are thinking of traditional monocrystalline diamond pastes. I am not aware of any oil-based polycrystalline diamond powder compounds. I employ PCD in water-based dispersions. So, you want a specimen for photographic purposes. Any white oxide on the Lightside should polish the pearl facet.
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