Tumbling Smokey Quartz

[digginhard]

Got a few smokey quartz pieces that are round and smooth though they have that foggy exterior that makes them look pretty average.Can I tumble these so they can be clear and shiney or does the quartz just continue to stay foggy unless cut and polished? Do I just use a finer grit or start them from scratch as you would other stones being polished? cheers

[Crocket]

G'day digginhard,
Whether or not they will become clear depends  on whether they are clear inside.  If it's just the outside scratches making them 'foggy' then they will clear up when tumble polished. Some pieces are cloudy right through and will never be clear.  Without seeing the stones it's a bit hard to say.  They can be tumbled like any other stone.  If you wet them and put a light behind you may be able to see how clear the actually are inside.  The starting grit will depend on how smooth they are.  I like to finish quartz with tin oxide as I think they come up better than with cerium.  Good luck.

[MakkyBrown]

Got a few smokey quartz pieces that are round and smooth though they have that foggy exterior that makes them look pretty average.Can I tumble these so they can be clear and shiney or does the quartz just continue to stay foggy unless cut and polished? Do I just use a finer grit or start them from scratch as you would other stones being polished? cheers

Some of those rough pieces that almost look clear/opaque due to roughness can be really nice citrine. Throwing them in the tumber is a good way to find the cutters. Might be heading up your way soon need a break from Lune River.

[Aussie Sapphire]

Do I just use a finer grit or start them from scratch as you would other stones being polished? cheers

If the rocks are very rounded and smooth already, you dont need the first stage #80 grit as that stage is designed to get the rocks rounded and smooth - if you repeat this process by tumbling with coarse grit, you just waste time/grit and remove more of the stone from the surface.  You may even be able to skip or reduce the second stage depending on how good the rocks are.

cheers
Leah

[digginhard]

Thanks everyone for your help.MakkyBrown,just about to hit some new ground on the creek that doesn't look like its been worked for either a longtime or maybe never.Bring ya waders and ill see ya in Derby anytime mate.