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Gearloose Faceting Lap Application Chart
Which Lap Should You Use?
This is a chart going over the various Gearloose laps and what materials they polish. Gearloose is a leading manufacturer for faceting laps in the lapidary industry. Their different formulas and different laps are each geared specifically for different gemstones. These charts, in depth, explain the use for each one and the difficulty to use them. Use this when deciding what lap to use when polishing a faceted gemstone. Find Gearloose Laps here.
| Product | Common Use | Polish Agent | Ease of Use | MHO Range | Primary Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BATT | Polish or Pre-Polish | Diamond / Oxide | Normal | 4 to 9 | Instructional / Commercial / Hobby |
| BA5T | Polish / Pre-Polish | Diamond | Normal | 5 to 9 | Competition & Production |
| Darkside | Polish | Diamond or Oxide | Easy | 4 to 9 | Instruction / Commercial / Hobby |
| Greenway | Polish | Water / Oxide | Easiest | 3 to 8 | All Commercial & Hobby |
| Cast Zinc | Polish / Pre-Polish | Diamond | Easy | 6 to 9 | All Commercial & Hobby |
| Matrix | Polishing | Diamond or Oxide | Easiest | 5 to 9 | Instruction / Commercial / Hobby |
| DiaMatrix | Polishing | Diamond / Oxide | Easy | 6 to 9 | Competition & Production |
| Twistor | Pre-Polish | Water | Normal | 7 to 9.5 | Commercial / Production |
| LightSide | Polish | Diamond / Oxide | Easiest | 2 to 7 | Instruction / Commercial / Hobby |
| Creamway | Polish | Water / Oxide | Easiest | 4 to 7 | All Commercial & Hobby |
Best Uses
Best Results: *****
Good Results: ****
Poor Results: ***
Not Effective: **
| Material | BATT | BA5T | Darkside Oxide | Darkside Diamond | Greenway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almandine | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Andalusite | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Apatite | **** | ***** | **** | **** | **** |
| Beryl | **** | **** | **** | **** | ***** |
| Chrysoberyl | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Corundum | **** | **** | ** | **** | * |
| Cubic Zirconia | **** | **** | ** | **** | ** |
| Feldspars | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Fluorite | **** | ***** | **** | **** | **** |
| Grossular | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Lolite | **** | **** | ***** | **** | **** |
| Opal | ** | ** | ***** | ** | **** |
| Peridot | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Pyrope | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Quartz | ** | ** | ***** | **** | ***** |
| Rhodolite | **** | **** | ***** | **** | **** |
| Scapolite | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Spessartine | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Sphalerite | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Sphene | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Spinel | **** | **** | **** | **** | ** |
| Topaz | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
| Tourmaline | **** | ***** | **** | **** | ***** |
| Zircon | **** | **** | ** | **** | **** |
| Zoisite | **** | **** | **** | **** | **** |