At the Topstones factory in Simon’s Town you can see one of the world’s largest gemstone factories and watch how gemstones are tumble-polished and crafted into many interesting and varied products. An interesting trip for adults and children alike!
A tumbled-polished gemstone is one that has been ground and polished to a high gloss by slowly tumbling, bumping and grinding the stones against each other in a barrel-like tumbler. Depending on the stone type, and the skill of the person managing the process, it may take anything from a few days to several weeks to achieve the desired result.
A brief history of gemstone tumbling …
Gemstone tumbling was started commercially in the United States in 1953. At that time, the tumblers used were literally no more than household paint cans, but as demand for the fabulous gemstone-products increased, the tumbler sizes increased until they reached the “6000-pound” tumblers which proved to be an ideal mix of size and efficacy. This size of commercial tumbler is still used today. The vibrating tumbler then entered the market as it speeded up the process of tumbling certain gemstone types and sizes.
Although the tumbling process remains a fairly mechanical process, there is a great deal of skill involved in obtaining the desired shape and colour to the various stone types. Water, various kinds of abrasives and other materials such as plastic pellets, iron fillings, sawdust, etc., are added to the tumbler at various times to aid the processing
Topstones processes some 150 varieties of stone from all around the world. Prime sources of gemstone-material include Southern Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Siberia and Alaska.
For wholesale inquiries please refer to Topstones’ website: www.topstones.co.za