How to deal with herring stone?

The raw herring stone is oblate and has a rough surface. It must be carved, ground and polished before it can be valuable for collection. Nowadays, the stock of natural jade is very small and cannot meet people's needs. Herring stone has become a substitute for jade, but herring stone must be processed through multiple processes to have higher value.

First, remove impurities

Herring stone is actually equivalent to herring teeth and has a strong fishy smell. The surface of the freshly taken out herring stone is still covered with some mucus. After processing Before that, its surface must be cleaned.

To remove impurities, it is advisable to add disinfectant and water, and prepare a liquid at a ratio of 1:10. Put the herring stone in it, let it sit for 2 hours, then take it out, place it in a cool and ventilated place, let it dry semi-dry, and then use Gently rub the surface with a bristle brush a few times, and the surface of the herring stone will be clean and free of foreign matter, and the smell will not be fishy.

Second, rough grinding for shape repair

There is a layer of cracks and pumice on the surface of herring stone, and some herring stones have irregular shapes and are not beautiful. Before processing, it must be polished and the surface polished to the ideal state to facilitate the next step. Generally use 240 grit sandpaper as the coarsest sandpaper. Since herring stones are generally not large, in order to save sandpaper, you can fold and tear the sandpaper into small pieces and polish them one by one.

When polishing, it should be heavy first and then light. If the surface of the herring stone is too dry, you can dip it in some water to prevent dust from flying. You can also use an automatic grinder for this step. Since the grinding wheel runs very fast, you must grind lightly and carefully to prevent the herring stone from being worn out.

Third, carving and shaping

Small herring stones are too small and have no carving value. They can be directly polished and made into pendants or bracelets. Large herring stones can be carved into shapes. There are two types of carving: relief and openwork. The carver uses a manual knife or an electric tool knife. According to the desired auspicious pattern, he first uses a ballpoint pen to draw lines on the herring stone, and then uses the knife to carve into realistic animals and characters. Or flowers, plants, insects, fish, etc.