Buffed or polished marbles

[disco005]

I received both this Popeye and Limeade as polished, the seller listed each as a buffed or polished, so I wasn't duped, I bought them to use as a reference.
They're very nice marbles, but I like to know when I'm buying a buffed or polished marble, doesn't hurt to spread the knowledge.

The easiest thing for me to identify as polished is how the wispy white ends unnaturally and kind of jaggedly, more easily seen on the Popeye

Does anyone else have any good pictures of buffed/polished marbles? Or have any other tell-tale signs?

Thanks, -Jess

[I'llhavethat1]

With machine polishing, some things to look for:

-sometimes polishing will open up air bubbles that the polishing compound gets into

-on handmades the pontils are usually removed

-surface is very spherical and "slippery"

-patterns can change (seams can open up) as noted above

-colors can change (ie: oxblood)

There are other things that can jump out at you, but those are the first few things for me.  If it looks too good to be true, or if something seems a bit "off", have a closer look.

[Steph]

Nice pix.  Good question.  I haven't thought to saved polished pix in many years  so I wouldn't even know which back-up drive to look for examples on.  
 

This very obvious example caught my eye once upon a time and I just found it again in a search:




 

[wvrons]

I don't think that marble was polished.  According to some handmade experts, Brian Esteep, Bill T. and others. These were made this way. I have one and have seen 5 or 6 others with a core or another marble inside. Plus the colors on this one have not been stretched or thin. None of the surface bubbles popped.

[Steph]

So much for "obvious", huh.   Learn something new every day.  

[disco005]

On 12/24/2020 at 10:04 AM, I'llhavethat1 said:

With machine polishing, some things to look for:

-sometimes polishing will open up air bubbles that the polishing compound gets into

-on handmades the pontils are usually removed

-surface is very spherical and "slippery"

-patterns can change (seams can open up) as noted above

-colors can change (ie: oxblood)

There are other things that can jump out at you, but those are the first few things for me.  If it looks too good to be true, or if something seems a bit "off", have a closer look.

These are great, thank you!

I especially like the surface is very spherical and slippery, that is a great tell tale sign, it's the first thing I try to look at, but still haven't gotten that skill down.

And since you mentioned it, I once received an oxblood that was polished that I need to find and share here, it was very clearly altered. 

-Jess

[disco005]

8 hours ago, Steph said:

So much for "obvious", huh.   Learn something new every day.  

 

Wow, I sure would have considered that one polished immediately, clearly I don't know enough about handmades  

Thank you for sharing that, even though I don't collect handmades, that is very good to know!

 

Edit: I meant to quote Ron  

[I'llhavethat1]

20 hours ago, wvrons said:

I don't think that marble was polished.  According to some handmade experts, Brian Esteep, Bill T. and others. These were made this way. I have one and have seen 5 or 6 others with a core or another marble inside. Plus the colors on this one have not been stretched or thin. None of the surface bubbles popped.

Very interesting.  I don't doubt the experts, but would love to see how the pontil (on the other pole) looks on these examples.

[cheese]

One of the easiest ways to me is to put it under a long fluorescent light like a shop light and roll it around. The reflection of the light will bend and wiggle as it rolls and the surface irregularities change the reflection. Even the nicest wet mint machine mades don't have perfect surfaces that will reflect without distortion. A polished marble will not change reflection as it rolls around. 

[wvrons]

I have looked at the marble picture 10-15 times, that Steph posted above.  I was probably wrong, I think it was polished. But polished at the pontil to open it up to see more of the inner core or marble. I can see where the white color ends looked stretched or pulled.  But the bubbles on the rets of the marble look intact not opened. Maybe this just had the pontil are alone hand polished to open it up more for viewing.  The one made like this that I currently have does not have a opening as large as the one above. Depending on how or what was done and how much. Polishing by hand can just polish one certain area. The three head machines grinds or polishes the marble all over. 

 Sorry about the confusion.