Polishing is the high shine observed on stone is the result of smoothing it with fine abrasives. Most craftsmen will use diamond abrasives to hone the stone, and then switch to a powdered
abrasive to achieve the final polish. Powdered abrasives contain superfine crystals of
aluminum oxide or
tin oxide. These powders are usually white, but can be yellow, brown gray or black.
The
abrasive powder is worked into the stone with a floor machine using water and polyester or natural fiber pads. The powder is worked into slurry until a polish is achieved. The craftsman removes the slurry with a wet-vac or mop and rinses the floor to remove excess powder. It's a relatively simple procedure, but it requires a good deal of practice for several reasons. Many
polishing powders contain a compound known as
oxalic acid, which is used to speed the
polishing process, and if too much powder is used, the stone can burn. A burned floor has a characteristic dimpled appearance; the stone will have a molten, plastic shine. This burned appearance is commonly called "orange peel," for reasons that are obvious to anyone who sees it. If the craftsmen orange-peels the floor, he will have to re-hone the floor to remove it. On the other hand, if too little powder is used, the final polish may not be achieved. A good craftsman will be familiar with the powder
polishing technique.
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