Qingyushi is a keratinous growth below the throat of the big Qingyushi, which is used to assist in damaging hard foods such as clams. It is yellowish and tender, shaped like a heart, hard as a rock after drying, flawless, as green as jade. In the Hakka cultural region, it is known as a rare object. It can be strung and tied around a child’s wrist. It is said to have the effect of driving away evil spirits, preventing children from being frightened, and welcoming blessings, so it is called Qingyushi.

How to deal with Qingyushi after it is taken out?

Big Qingyushi is an aquatic organism, and the fresh Qingyushi contains a lot of water. After the stone is taken out, it needs to be dried and turned into a hard keratin layer before it can be processed.

1. Basic cleaning

The front and back of Qingyushi, one side is the growth surface and the other side is the biting surface. Generally, the biting surface is severely damaged and vitrified, and sometimes even the screw shell left when the big Qingyushi bites is left. Before polishing Qingyushi, it is necessary to clean the vitrified part of the biting surface thoroughly.

In addition, the vitrified part of Qingyushi’s situation has a strong smell, and polishing can reduce the smell during the polishing process.

2. Curing ‘Protective Activity’.

This curing process, which prevents cracking and chipping during the polishing process, is called ‘Protective Activity’. It is more applicable to the polishing machine or CNC carving machine for polishing, mainly to prevent chipping during the polishing process.

However, Qingyushi has a certain degree of ductility and is not very easy to break. The step of manual polishing and brightening can be omitted, but attention should be paid to the problem of friction melting point during polishing. The biting surface of Qingyushi is generally severely vitrified, and the surface is full of cracks. After curing, the strong adhesive can penetrate into the gaps, which can have a very good anti-rust effect.

In addition, many people like to use the method of soaking in oil to maintain and store the raw materials of Qingyushi. However, in fact, soaking in oil is of no help to the unprocessed Qingyushi. After soaking in oil, the surface gaps of Qingyushi are filled with oil and cannot be distinguished.

Generally, during the production and processing, it is often seen that there are no cracks, but after the final polishing and drying treatment, cracks will continue to appear. In this case, it is necessary to re-polish and brighten, which is time-consuming. It is more suitable to apply oil for maintenance after the production and processing is completed.

3. Refining and fine grinding

Polishing sandpaper is used as the polishing tool.

The first step is to use 180 grit to 400 grit sandpaper to clean the residual matter and cracks on the surface of Qingyushi stone, and to polish the shape of Qingyushi stone neatly. Attention must be paid to the friction melting point during the polishing process, as overheating may cause new fine cracks on Qingyushi stone.

If water sand is used for polishing, do not immerse Qingyushi stone in water. Qingyushi stone has a certain ability to absorb water, and it is prone to cracking during the production process after absorbing moisture and swelling. Therefore, it is best to use a small amount of water for polishing and wipe it immediately after polishing.

4. Product refinishing and fine grinding

This step requires detailed polishing of the finely shaped Qingyushi stone. Coarse 180-400 grit sandpaper can cause scratches on the surface of Qingyushi stone, so it is not possible to carry out immediate polishing on the stone that has only been finely ground.

Therefore, it is necessary to use 800 grit, 1000 grit, 3000 grit, and 5000 grit sandpaper to carry out connected polishing to smooth the surface scratches as much as possible. Attention must also be paid to the friction melting point during the polishing process.

It is necessary to pay attention to the control of tap water and environmental humidity during the polishing process. The basic method is to reduce the amount of water absorbed with the sandpaper as it becomes finer, and it can be polished at 5000 grit and above.

5. Detailed polishing

The finely polished Qingyushi stone will show a layered texture like crystal jelly, with juicy color and smoothness like emerald.

How to carry out polishing treatment for Qingyushi stone?

Method One: After Qingyushi stone is shaped, polished, and polished to 5000 grit, naturally dry and store it for 1-2 days, then use 7000 grit sandpaper for polishing and polishing.

Method Two: After Qingyushi stone is shaped, polished, and polished to 5000 grit, naturally dry and store it for 1-2 days, then use a pure cotton cloth dipped in whitening toothpaste to wipe the surface of Qingyushi stone until a mirror-like glass effect appears. Finally, quickly rinse the whitening toothpaste, and naturally dry it.

How to maintain Qingyushi stone?

The main component of Qingyushi stone is keratin, with a mild texture and pleasing color. Pay special attention to the change in humidity when wearing it, avoid direct sunlight and rain, and strictly avoid direct blowing of air conditioning and heating, as the surface is prone to cracking if exposed to water and oil.

It can be stored in a dense bag or jewelry box, and slightly moisten with plant oil for maintenance. It is strongly recommended to use mineral oils such as glycerin and emollient oils, and not to use plant oils, as plant oils are very prone to mold and bacterial growth.

In addition, the strength of Qingyushi stone is around Mohs 3, and the nail of dried Qingyushi stone cannot be moved, showing flexibility. Do not rub it with hard objects such as metal, otherwise it is easy to cause scratches.

Organic compounds such as teeth and horn, when used in cultural and artistic accessories, often show signs of dehydration. This means that the coating becomes white due to air oxidation and changes in humidity, which can vary from two to several decades, depending on the actual storage standards.

The actual effect of the Qingyushi stone after being dehydrated and coated is similar to the actual effect of the old amber slices, with dragonfly wing patterns and a considerable artistic beauty.