Quartz Polishing Survey Results
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Editor’s Note: Some years ago, the International Gem Society (IGS) conducted a survey of members’ polishing techniques. Here, you’ll find the results for quartz polishing. Whether you’re just starting to learn the art of gem cutting or just looking for a new way to tackle a problematic gem material, we hope these results provide some useful suggestions.
For more information about the survey or to find results for more gemstones, click here.
Quartz Polishing Techniques
| Laptype | Polish | Lubricant | Votes |
| Lucite | Cerium/Alumina | water | 17 |
| Ultra Lap | Cerium/Aluminum Oxide | vinegar, water/water | 15 |
| Dynalap | Cerium Oxide | water | 9 |
| Tin | Cerium/Alumina | water | 9 |
| Spectra (Ultra Lap) | Cerium Oxide | water | 8 |
| Lucite | 50k diamond | oil or water | 8 |
| BATT | Cerium/Alumina | water | 6 |
| Phenolic | Cerium/Linde A | water | 5 |
| Tin | 14-50k diamond | oil | 5 |
| BATT | 50-100k diamond | oil | 3 |
| CD | Cerium Oxide | water | 4 |
| Raytech Fast Lap | 50k diamond | Crysta Lubrication | 2 |
| Spectra (Ultra Lap) | Magi Colloidal Silica | vinegar, water/water | 2 |
| Copper | 50k diamond | barrier cream | 2 |
| Copper | Linde A | water | 1 |
| Ceramic | 100k diamond | Kroil/oil | 1 |
| Copper | cerium | water | 1 |
| Raytech Polyfilm | cerium | water | 1 |
| Copper | Quartz88 | water | 1 |
| Turbofan | Green (Dialux) | water | 1 |
Notes
- Polishing agents and lubricants divided
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