barell polishing with stones set??

[Rustic Charm]

Hi everybody, does anyone have a list of which gemstones are porous and which aren't??? i believe most stones that aren't porous can go in barrell polisher is this right????

[agent_44]

It's more a case of the hardness of the stone, as softer ones will get worn away. The Moh's scale of Hardness will give you a good guide, see Mohs scale of mineral hardness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness) for info. I have to say I have put stones that are rate just 4 on the scale and have been OK, though others warn against it. Stones to avoid off the top of my head though are Turquoise and Pearls. Also, if you use any Swarovski, don't put any coated types in there!

[mizgeorge]

Steel is about 5.5 on the the Mohs scale, so I avoid tumbling anything softer than this. Anything friable (like kyanite, labradorite) can also be tricky, as well as porous stones including turquoise and emeralds. Some lampwork (especially that made with silvered or etched glass) is also a bit risky.

[Trudy]

I was thinking of tumbling a wire wrapped necklace with glass beads on it, should that be ok? They have silver foiled centres.

[agent_44]

Yeah, that should be no problem. Glass is ususally fine as long as it doesn't have a special coating or something like that.