Snakes and Stones

[Lord Sorril]

Maybe a silly question Sorril but just to clarify, when you say not all stones will accept a polish, are you just talking about the sheen look of a polish? What I mean is, do the stones still have the smooth feel of a polished stone just without the shine, or do they still feel a little rough? I guess maybe a better way of asking is do different stones end up with different textures even using the same technique to polish them?

Those are good questions.
The difference between polish and sheen, and how texture effects polish using different methods.

Polish - verb - To make something smooth or shiny by rubbing it.
Sheen - noun - A soft luster on a surface.

It is a fast rule (not 100% accurate) in rock tumbling that harder stones will accept a better polish, the tighter the grains/crystal formation the easier it is to get a shine on it and make it feel 'smooth'. Likewise: the larger the grains and pores--the more 'texture' a stone has and the harder it is to smooth out and thus acquire a polish (using tumblers that is). Some people who make jewelry have access to diamond grinding wheels and saws and can effectively grind down and polish many types of stones that would be impossible otherwise.

With regards to the term 'sheen': I used this because certain stones like Labradorite and Obsidian can have an embedded luster on their surface that does not rely on a polish. It is clearly more visible when wet.
Once a stone with a sheen is polished: it will usually keep its color.

For Example Gold Sheen Obsidian: