Jewelry Polishing

Jewelry polishing and burnishing by hand is a labor intensive craft which although very beautiful and detailed, is far too expensive to use in a mass production environment. Instituting mass finishing and jewelry polishing systems, jewelry manufacturers will save time and money as compared to the more traditional hand finishing techniques.

Mass Jewelry Burnishing and Finishing - explained

In the jewelry manufacturing industry, mass jewelry polishing systems and jewelry burnishing of pieces has quickly and quietly become the most effective tool and yet many still do not use it or understand the process. Once the manufacturer takes the time to learn about jewelry mass finishing and implement the system in the production flow, the results are as follows:

1. Dramatic reduction in labor costs vs. hand polishing
2. Significant increase in quality control
3. Increased productivity
4. Reduced loss of precious alloy

The purpose of the process is to polish/finish jewelry in a quick and convenient manner in order to get the pieces to market sooner.

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What equipment is needed to set up a mass jewelry finishing system?

There are generally 3 items required in setting up a mass jewelry finishing system:

1. Barrel Tumbler and/or Vibratory Bowl Machine
2. Stainless Steel Burnishing Media
3. Walnut Shell Grit
4. Polishing Compound

The primary component to purchase is the jewelry polishing machines themselves, the two most common being sold are a barrel tumbling system and a vibratory bowl system. Both are more than capable of handling a variety of jewelry finishing needs.

The Barrel Tumbling System rotates the jewelry pieces and media inside a cylindrical barrel causing the items to tumble over and over again. This tumbling action combined with the proper media will polish the jewelry pieces to a beautiful brilliance. Kramer Industries MT Series Wet Barrel Mini-Tumbler System or the K14 Series Wet Barrel Tumbler System is ideal for this application and both come in a various sizes to accommodate any capacity needs.

The Vibratory Bowl System is a widely used type because it is very effective and cost efficient. These systems are very low maintenance, high quality finishing of all of the jewelry pieces and can polish virtually any item suitable for mass polishing. The Kramer Mini-Bowl Vibratory Systems offer a wide range of capacities suitable for any size operation.

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The preferred media will either be stainless steel media for burnishing and walnut shell grit or corn cob grit for polishing. The stainless steel media will make the metal surface very hard and very shiny while the walnut shell or corn cob grit will finish the jewelry pieces to a high luster.

For a truly deep brilliance, use a burnishing compound with the stainless steel media. The Kramer Kramco 910 Burnishing Compound is a terrific product designed with jewelry polishing in mind.

Having the right equipment for mass jewelry finishing will save time, money and enable you to provide a high quality product for your customers.