Everyone will come across this issue and some point or another. They have a lovely set of quality wine glasses or an expensive vase that has been tarnished by an unsightly scratch. Most people just chuck the offending item away, or hide it in a dark corner, even though it can be repaired with not much effort at all. All that is needed is a few tools and bit of helpful information.

1.)    Don’t use harsh abrasives to try and rub the scratch out. This may work on wood, but on your favorite whisky glass, you’ll end up with a horrible opaque patch that will look even worse and be even more difficult to remove. A fine abrasive is what you need, and the experts tend to use something like cerium oxide. Any good jewelers will stock this type of abrasive.

2.) A polishing wheel is the next thing that you’ll need. This is form of spin buffer that has a soft pad and is fitted onto a hand drill. When abrasive is added to the pad and it spins up against the glass surface, it buffs any marks away. It is very important that the polishing wheel is clean and free from any grit. The drill should not be used on a high setting as the pressure on the glass may be too large. Crystal glass is stronger and so can withstand higher spin speeds.

3.) For more serious scratches that cut deep into the glass, you’ll need more than a polishing wheel. In most cases you can use a resin to fill in deep scratches and you can pick this up from DIY shops and specialist glassware shops. You’ll need to ensure that the resin you use has the same refractive index as the glass, otherwise it will stand out like a sore thumb, especially on crystal vases and glassware. When you have laid on the resin, the buffer and abrasive can be used to get a consistent finish and get the glass sparkling.