<p>Using a Dremel or Rotron tool with a buffing or polishing wheel mounted will radically shorten the time needed to get a high polish on any surface.</p>

<p>If you mean to limit yourself to non-mechanical methods then jewelers polish, diamond paste, or aluminum oxide pastes are what you need .. applied to a sponge, cloth, or bit of soft leather.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-07T17:27:43.713Z
2018-07-07T17:27:43.713Z
vulcan_
<p>You could repurpose a carpentry drill, Dremel rotary tool, or even a makeup nail buffer to serve as a small buffer.  Specialty bits are available for carpentry drills and Dremel which have the buffing cloth already attached.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-29T16:36:53.823Z
2018-07-26T14:49:23.777Z
2018-07-26T14:49:23.777Z
Henry Taylor
<h2>No, you definitely don't need a buffer</h2>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/g76k1.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/g76k1.jpg" alt="Sutton Hoo belt buckle"></a>
<em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sutton_Hoo_(3).JPG" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Image from Wikimedia Commons</a></em></p>

<p>This gold belt buckle dates from the 6th century - long before buffing machines were invented. Finishing jewellery by hand is the traditional way to do it, and as you can see the results can be excellent.</p>

<h2>However, you can't get this kind of finish just with sandpaper</h2>

<p>Going up through the grades of sandpaper is a good way to start, but to achieve a truly smooth finish you need something finer. There are a few different things that are available now for final polishing, but the traditional one is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron(III)_oxide#Polishing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ferric oxide</a>, also known as <em>jeweller's rouge</em>.</p>

<p>You can use this by applying a little to a polishing cloth, and polishing the piece until it's done (<a href="https://www.quicktest.co.uk/polishing.htm#rougeforgold" rel="nofollow noreferrer">you'll need to wipe the rouge off afterwards</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-29T07:33:15.030Z
2018-06-29T07:33:15.030Z
walrus
<p>Having a giant electrical machine just for buffing metal isn't convenient for me. If I could, I would prefer to just sand away. Is it possible to obtain as good of a finish as you would see with a buffer by using continuously less course sand-paper layer by layer? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-08T09:46:15.473Z
Gold dust careful don't breathe. And silver paste
Tyler James January Carlson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-26T14:49:40.417Z
Wouldn't sandpaper be way too course for jewellery buffing? The coarsest rouge I recall seeing used was still more like clay than sand.
rebusB
<jewelry>
Do you need a buffer to get a shiny finish on jewelery?
John Joe
# Do you need a buffer to get a shiny finish on jewelery?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-06-29)

Having a giant electrical machine just for buffing metal isn't convenient for me. If I could, I would prefer to just sand away. Is it possible to obtain as good of a finish as you would see with a buffer by using continuously less course sand-paper layer by layer?

**Tags:** jewelry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Gold dust careful don't breathe. And silver paste  
> **username_2**: Wouldn't sandpaper be way too course for jewellery buffing? The coarsest rouge I recall seeing used was still more like clay than sand.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-06-29. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

## No, you definitely don't need a buffer

[![Sutton Hoo belt buckle](https://i.sstatic.net/g76k1.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/g76k1.jpg)
*[Image from Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sutton_Hoo_(3).JPG)*

This gold belt buckle dates from the 6th century - long before buffing machines were invented. Finishing jewellery by hand is the traditional way to do it, and as you can see the results can be excellent.

## However, you can't get this kind of finish just with sandpaper

Going up through the grades of sandpaper is a good way to start, but to achieve a truly smooth finish you need something finer. There are a few different things that are available now for final polishing, but the traditional one is [ferric oxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron(III)_oxide#Polishing), also known as *jeweller's rouge*.

You can use this by applying a little to a polishing cloth, and polishing the piece until it's done ([you'll need to wipe the rouge off afterwards](https://www.quicktest.co.uk/polishing.htm#rougeforgold))


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-06-29. Score: 4

You could repurpose a carpentry drill, Dremel rotary tool, or even a makeup nail buffer to serve as a small buffer. Specialty bits are available for carpentry drills and Dremel which have the buffing cloth already attached.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-07. Score: 1

Using a Dremel or Rotron tool with a buffing or polishing wheel mounted will radically shorten the time needed to get a high polish on any surface.

If you mean to limit yourself to non-mechanical methods then jewelers polish, diamond paste, or aluminum oxide pastes are what you need .. applied to a sponge, cloth, or bit of soft leather.


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