Lap for the polishing of gemstones

Claim 1

A process for the polishing of gemstones, the process comprising providing a scaife having a rotary plane disc provided on its upper surface with a frozen liquid matrix containing abrasive powder, said frozen matrix having a phase transition temperature between solid/liquid chosen to regulate the local temperature created at a point of contact between said matrix and a gemstone during polishing, said frozen matrix also having a high enthalpy of phase transition from solid to liquid; rotating said scaife at a high rate; and applying a gemstone to be polished against the rotating frozen liquid matrix containing abrasive powder to effect polishing of said gemstone, the contact of said gemstone against said frozen liquid matrix allowing momentary local melting of said matrix at a point of contact between said matrix and the gemstone being polished when said local temperature meets or exceeds said phase transition temperature followed immediately by refreezing, said local melting thus preventing the heating of the gemstone during polishing to a temperature substantially above said phase transition temperature.