Summary for jewelers rouge Discussion
jewelers rouge is explained as a buffing compound used with polishing wheels, but the thread notes that the term is used inconsistently: some people mean any buffing compound, while others mean the red-brown type specifically. Robert Harrison says it is usually a mix of aluminium oxide and wax used to polish metals. In a later reply to Andrea Lindemann-Grez, the answerer says the product her father used was probably a bar of buffing compound sometimes called jeweler’s rouge, but identifying the exact 1950s brand from its red paper and green box may be difficult. The reply also cautions that arguments over brand differences can be more about preference than substance, and suggests the important clue is the color of the bar itself, since that reflects the abrasive content rather than the packaging.
A source of confusion on this topic is that some people use the term “jewelers rouge” to refer to any and all buffing compounds including red-brown, white, and green; whereas other people use the term “jewelers rouge” to mean the red-brown buffing compound very specifically.
I would like to know what is
jewelers rouge
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] ? Is it available commercially or can it be made at home?
Rohit Gupta
– Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2003
Ed. note: We’ve linked to it, Rohit.
This is usually a mix of aluminium oxide and wax, it is used with buffing wheels to polish metals.
Robert Harrison
– Dublin, Ireland
2003
Q. As a former Herbertsville Road Brick resident (from the late 40’s to the 80’s), I’m hoping that someone from that area can help me. My father (now deceased) used a jeweler’s rouge in his workshop that was wrapped in red paper and came in a green box. He probably purchased it at the hardware store on Herbertsville Road sometime in the 50’s. He swore by the product and we need to find it again. Does anyone remember the name of the rouge and if/where it can be found? Thanks so much in advance!
Andrea Lindemann-Grez
faux finisher – Chesterfield Virginia USA
February 21, 2012
A. Hi Andrea. In principle it was a bar of buffing compound, sometimes called jeweler’s rouge
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] .
But finding the particular brand that used red paper & green box in the 1950s might not be easy, and whether that brand was actually any different draws us into a “Chevy trucks are better!”, “No, Ford trucks are!”, “No, Chevy!” argument. What is probably important is the color of the bar itself, not the paper or the box because the color of the bar depends upon the abrasives in it :-)
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.