Jewellers' rouge is a fine red polishing compound based on hematite or related iron oxide powders, used at the bench for the final mirror finish on gold, silver, and other soft-metal jewellery surfaces. The name derives from the colour, and the substance has been a workshop staple since at least the eighteenth century. It is supplied either as a hard wax stick that is loaded onto a cotton or felt buffing wheel, or as a liquid suspension for hand polishing.

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Composition and Action

The active material is ferric oxide, Fe₂O₃, milled to particle sizes typically between 0.5 and 5 microns. The very fine grade, sometimes called red rouge, is the slowest cutting and gives the brightest final finish. White rouge, based on tin oxide or aluminium oxide, is a faster-cutting alternative used for harder white metals including platinum and certain stainless steels. Green rouge, based on chromium oxide, is used principally on platinum and on the highest-grade rhodium-plated surfaces.

Rouge works by a combination of fine abrasion and surface compression. Used correctly on a soft buff at moderate speed, it removes only the residual marks from a previous tripoli or pumice cut and produces a final reflective finish without removing significant metal. Used aggressively or on too-firm a wheel it can round detail and obscure engraved lines.

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Workshop Practice

The standard sequence in goldsmithing is to finish the piece through emery or silicon carbide papers, then through tripoli compound on a stitched calico wheel, and finally with rouge on a soft loose-leaf cotton wheel. Cleaning between stages is essential, since contamination of a rouge wheel with coarser tripoli will scratch the surface rather than polish it. Many workshops dedicate separate wheels and even separate motors to each compound to prevent cross-contamination.