How to Get a Mirror Finish on Silver Jewellery

Hey jewellers,
Want to polish your silver jewellery by hand? And get a super lovely mirror finish? It is a great skill to have. In this video, I take you through how I like to get a mirror finish on my silver pieces.
These techniques don't include any machinery or expensive tools (although we do take a little look at them) so it is an easy way to get started polishing your jewellery from home.
The same process would work on brass, bronze, copper and gold jewellery as well as the silver and are the same on sterling and metal clay. The filing stages are not recommended for any plated work.
We cover how to polish flat surfaces as well as textured ones. Using files, sand paper, emery sticks, glanol and polishing cloths.
I hope you enjoy. Do give it a thumbs up if you would like to see more videos like this and leave a comment below so I can come and say hi!
Thanks for watching and happy making!
Jess x
P.S. If you want to learn more about growing an amazing jewellery business, come find us at www.jewellersacademy.com

[@JewellersAcademy]

What are your top polishing tips? Come and let me know in the comments or just come say hi so I can meet you! Thanks for being here. Jess x

[@KVF26]

Where do you purchase your polishing paper, I’ve been looking online and keep finding sand paper lol

[@quagmire3533]

@@KVF26 try Rio grande

[@han436]

@@KVF26 whats name of polishing paper ?

[@lucyadlington2518]

Great video, didn't know polishing papers exist. I've been using the 3M radial disks and relatively happy with them. Just need a lesson in polishing rouge and how to not look in the mirror and find flecks of it all over my face and hair 😂

[@Angel___00888]

I think all flat surfaces should be polished the way you did, polishing with a buff it becomes round on the edges!👍👍👍👍👍

[@newsmail3694]

love it ...... thanks

[@JewellersAcademy]

You're very welcome x

[@okayokay2010]

Wonderful

[@JewellersAcademy]

So glad you enjoyed the tutorial! x

[@stuartmckinnie814]

fantastic thank u so much

[@JewellersAcademy]

You are so welcome x

[@Aemni1]

I didn't know about Glanol metal polish until i watched this video. I just use Dialux polishes. They come in different colours, kinda like the polishing papers used in this video. Either way, it's good to know that substance exists, that mirror finish looks a lot better than any of mine so far ^_^ gonna try it out

[@JewellersAcademy]

HIya, yes the Dialux polishes are great with a rotary tool. And great to have options up your sleeve. I do recommend glanol as a final polish, have loved it ever since I first gave it a go. Let me know how you get on with it if you do order some. Jess

[@mikeabbruscato3480]

Try Zam it works great!

[@OliviaIjaz]

Your video was very educative and helpful, thank you!! I was wondering, If I can't get my hands on the 3m polishing paper what could I use instead for to get more or less the same result! Thanks 🌺🌺🌼🌼🌼

[@JewellersAcademy]

Glad you enjoyed it! You can buy the 3M polishing papers here www.metalclay.co.uk/3m-polishing-papers-12-large-sheets/ x

[@FunFacts1]

Just a quick safety tip for persons using a file. When using a file, it would be a good idea to have somekind of small handle at the end of the file (or something else to cover the sharp end). There is a risk, (especially if more force is used) that your hand grip fails if file gets stuck or bumbs into something , and at that point, it's possible that the sharp handle punctures your wrist (which could be dangerous).

[@JewellersAcademy]

Thanks so much for the tip x

[@mhairihagger8015]

Hello! Thank you for your useful tips. Is there a reason why there are scratches still in the final product ? Just because you wanted to speed up to finish the video ? Will all the scratches come out if I continue to use the different papers? Sorry for all the questions, I am having issues getting a perfect finish on my final product and can I see scratch marks from sanding

[@JewellersAcademy]

If you want a super perfect mirror finish then you need to work carefully through each paper in small increments and vary the directions in which you sand. x

[@psychedelia-zq3eg]

Hi Jess,i'm from Indonesia,love this video,really helpful...but i still curious does the polishing paper will damage the silver especially its weight?and how about glanol?

[@JewellersAcademy]

No, the polishing papers won't damage the silver, but yes they do essentially remove small amounts when polishing. The glanol is perfect for polishing silver and adding that finishing shine x

[@tammygurl64]

Hi Jess! Thanks for the lesson! 🙂 I'm a newbie to bench jewelry and I'm trying to figure out the bare minimum needed to create a mirror shine. I was wondering if you could just skip the sandpaper and start with the polishing papers in a scenario where maybe you've fused fine silver or Argentium instead of using solder since you wouldn't have solder to clean up afterwards? It would seem that you would've started with a clean surface. Let's say you make a silver band ring and the silver wasn't very scratched up when finished (yeah, I'm trying to find any workable shortcuts for hand polishing - LOL!), wouldn't the papers work? Or is my thinking delusional that anything would be finished so well it didn't need sanding? LOL! 😄 My first project will be an Argentium or Fine silver band ring and if all goes well, my next project will be a link Bracelet. I do NOT have a tumbler and even as much as I'd love to have one for my rocks, I just can't afford one right now so the bracelet may be a real challenge without one. Any confirmation on my sandpaper skipping theory or any advice would be greatly appreciated! Cheers! 🙂

[@JewellersAcademy]

Yes in theory, if your silver isn't badly scratched then you don't necessarily need to start with your lower grit (more abrasive) papers. You could just use the polishing papers x

[@tammygurl64]

@@JewellersAcademy Thank you so much for confirming and sorry my "thank you" was delayed. Cheers!

[@esmerogersevans9271]

Hi, where do you buy your polishing papers? Thanks

[@user-qz6so3er4m]

Hi, where do you buy yohr polishig papers ?

[@brittanyswartz7285]

How long do you think it will stay like this? Like when someone purchases a piece like this how long would it stay, and what then can they do to keep looking bright?

[@JewellersAcademy]

Hey Brittany, it really depends on how well the jewellery is looked after. Often, jewellers give polishing cloths with their jewellery to help keep their pieces super shiny x

[@samsturgess4485]

Hi sorry I know this was a while ago but I’m struggling to get a mirror finish. Can I ask - I’m starting with a 320 wet and dry and working my way through but can still see scratches. Do you think 320 is too course and should I start with a 400 ? Thanks in advance.

[@JewellersAcademy]

It really depends on the state of the piece when you start. If there aren't many deep scratches then you could start at 400. It's hard to say what's going wrong without seeing how you are working, but there are a few things to bear in mind - always make sure you are multi directional when sanding (using figure of 8 if flat). Also make sure you are contaminating your mops when using polishing compounds at the later stages too - always clean your piece before moving onto next one up. There are so many different techniques and tips for achieving a mirror finish, you might find it helpful to join our Facebook group as there have been lots of great advice shared there. Follow this link to join facebook.com/groups/jewellersacademy Hope that helps! x

[@Delgadoz7]

😮

[@SilverSpur1]

you have to say to your students to wear mask when polishing with the dremel machine

[@JewellersAcademy]

Thank you for your comment. Yes you're right, it is always important to take safety precautions when at the bench, and wearing a mask is important when using polishing compounds. x

[@hulagu3068]

I would like to do a mirror finish on a full size hand mirror of silver.

[@JewellersAcademy]

That would be amazing! I wonder if it would be as reflective as an actual mirror! x

[@MUDSWAT]

Omg, I can't see my finger when I put my finger up to my screen... I must be a Ghost!! Jokes aside, thanks for sharing I've been looking for something like this for a while.

[@JewellersAcademy]

Lol, you're welcome! x

[@jamesedwards7442]

Would 3000, 5000, and 7000 grit sandpaper work as well as the polishing papers?

[@JewellersAcademy]

Yes they probably would be very similar x

[@texasgigi3684]

Thanks for this video. Polishing jewelry is very confusing. Can you give us a link to where you get your polishing papers?

[@JewellersAcademy]

Hey lovely, I am sorry you found this confusing! Here is a list of suppliers that we use www.jewellersacademy.com/jewellery-supplies 💕 xx

[@texasgigi3684]

@@JewellersAcademy Hi there! No, your video was not confusing at all. It was very straightforward. I was confused by polishing before I saw your video.

[@bebesquared4751]

Are the polishing cloths reusable? How do you clean the silver particulate residue off of those polishing cloths?

[@JewellersAcademy]

The 3M polishing cloths/papers will last a fair while but do eventually need replacing. x

[@easystarallstar89]

I didn't know you could go from a cut 2 file straight to 800 sandpaper!

[@noak5681]

Can you provide a link to buy the sheets you use to polish please ?

[@JewellersAcademy]

Is it these polishing papers you were after? www.metalclay.co.uk/3m-polishing-papers-12-large-sheets/

[@lynnewallace9528]

Could you please advise the name of the graded polishing sheets to search for a supplier. Thanks

[@JewellersAcademy]

I work through a number of grades when using these emery sticks (starting at 400 normally). We have a list of suppliers on our website that I am sure you will find helpful www.jewellersacademy.com/jewellery-supplies

[@annasimons389]

what does the glanol do?

[@JewellersAcademy]

The glanol is great for giving a final polish/sheen to your piece. x

[@iandykes757]

was this done with pmc clay ?

[@JewellersAcademy]

This piece is made out of silver metal clay, yes but the technique is the same for sterling silver/ sheet metal. Was just a spare bit I had that needed a polish :-)

[@jacksikora4623]

Where can I buy the papers

[@sallyhow4892]

These are one of the suppliers for polishing papers www.metalclay.co.uk/3m-polishing-papers-12-large-sheets/

[@JewellersAcademy]

If www.metalclay.co.uk doesn't have them in stock you may also like to check with some other suppliers for 3M polishing papers, we have an exhaustive list here www.jewellersacademy.com/jewellery-supplies x

[@ep5754]

You didn’t specify the grit on your emery sticks or the polishing papers.

[@JewellersAcademy]

I used 800 grit sandpaper. The 3M polishing papers are Green - 30 Micron / 400 grit, Grey - 15 Micron / 600 grit, Blue - 9 Micron / 1,200 grit, Pink - 3 Micron / 4,000 grit, Mint - 2 Micron / 6,000 grit, Cream - 1 Micron / 8,000 grit

[@ep5754]

Thanks! That helps.

[@FGV_Gravity]

I have a silver chain, can I make a mirror finish just using friction? I don't have silver polish

[@JewellersAcademy]

Are you looking to polish or clean a silver chain? x

[@FGV_Gravity]

@@JewellersAcademy polish my silver

[@vishalkhanna1476]

Silver sell??

[@JewellersAcademy]

This tutorial is for silver x