How to Carve Quartz

Carving crystal, be it quartz or any other of many types, requires specialized machinery and some tools, but these are commonly found in large hardware stores. Carving is an artistic skill that takes much time and practice to hone. Following a few basic guidelines will allow you to learn this skill quickly, so you can start producing beautifully carved and cut quartz crystals. Depending on the design you wish to make, a grinder with only two separate wheels is all you should need.

Instructions

1

Determine and draw the final shape you wish to form from your rough quartz crystal.

2

Begin forming the rough outline using a diamond wheel in your grinder. Many artisans find using a fixed grinder, or an angle grinder mounted in a vice, to be the most effective. Create flat sides and edges on your crystal by holding it to the rotating blade of the grinder with a pair of pliers. Never use a grit less than 180 for rough carving.

3

Change the blade in your grinder to a silicon carbide wheel.

4

Make more intricate and smoother cuts and carvings on your quartz crystal with this wheel. You can use the flat, rotating surface for flat edges and the edge of the wheel to make cuts or gouges.

5

Use a hand-held rotary tool with a silicon carbide bit to make any intricate designs or shapes in the crystal. These are handy tools that often come with a variety of bits allowing you to carve a variety of intricate designs.

6

Polish the finished sculpted quartz crystal using a finer grit bits and wheels, followed by a soft cloth.