Skipping the intermediate steps in rock tumbling can be tempting, especially when your stones look great after the first tumble. However, it’s generally advised to follow through with all stages for the best results.

Here’s why:

1. Each Stage Has a Purpose:
   • Coarse Grind: This stage shapes the rocks and smooths out rough edges.
   • Medium Grind: Further refines the surface, removing small imperfections and preparing for fine smoothing.
   • Fine Grind: Creates an ultra-smooth surface that is essential for achieving a high-quality polish.
   • Polishing: Finally, this stage adds the glossy finish that makes your stones shine.
2. Avoiding Contamination: Each step helps to remove residues from the previous stage. Skipping directly to polishing can lead to grit contamination, which may scratch your stones and ruin the polish.
3. Consistency: Following all the stages ensures that all areas of the stones are uniformly prepared and polished.

For hand-polishing stones, I’d recommend the following approach:

• Use a Range of Sandpaper: Start with coarse sandpaper (around 60-80 grit) and work your way down to finer grits (such as 600 and up). This gradual process smooths the rock’s surface incrementally.
• Polish Selection: For a wet-look finish, many recommend using cerium oxide or tin oxide as the final polish. These compounds are applied with a soft cloth or felt pad, using water as a lubricant.
• Patience and Care: Hand-polishing takes time and effort. Consistently sanding and polishing in a circular motion will yield the best results.

Consider experimenting with a few stones by skipping to the polish step if you’re curious, but for consistently excellent results, sticking to all the stages is the best practice