About Gearloose Lapidary
Gearloose Lapidary develops specialized laps, polishing compounds and accessories for gemstone faceting.
The company began in 1997 when founder Jon “Gearloose” Rolfe started experimenting with materials to solve problems he encountered at his own faceting machine. With a background in chemistry and materials science, Jon approached lapidary equipment differently: rather than simply adapting traditional materials, he engineered products specifically for the way gem cutters use them.
That approach led to BATT™, followed over the years by products including BA5T™, Darkside™, Greenway™, Creamway™, MATRIX™, DIAMAX™, Zinc Plus™, BATTSTIK™ and PANDIMONIUM®.
Made for Gem Cutters
Gearloose products are designed around practical problems.
How do you make a lap hold diamond more effectively? How can prepolishing be faster without sacrificing precision? Can an oxide polishing system be made simpler and cleaner? Can two steps be combined on one lap? Can a polishing surface produce sharp meets without becoming unnecessarily difficult to use?
Those kinds of questions have driven Gearloose product development from the beginning.
The result is a product line that includes traditional metal-based laps, proprietary alloys, engineered composites, diamond compounds, oxide polishing products and specialized accessories.
We don't believe there is one polishing system that is perfect for every gemstone or every cutter. Different materials behave differently, and different faceters develop their own preferences. Our goal is to provide well-engineered tools that give cutters reliable options.
A Tradition of Experimentation
Some Gearloose products have remained in production for decades. Others have been replaced as better materials or manufacturing methods became available.
We consider that a strength.
BATT™ has been refined since its original development in 1997. Composite laps such as Darkside™, MATRIX™ and DIAMAX™ grew out of years of experimentation with materials that behaved very differently from conventional metal laps. Products such as Greenway™ and Creamway™ were developed to make oxide polishing simpler, while Zinc Plus™ provides an extremely effective chargeable surface for diamond prepolishing.
Gearloose has never been about making something once and declaring it finished. If we find a better material, a better process or a better way for the cutter to use a product, we want to pursue it.
A New Chapter in Arizona
In 2025, Sam Baar acquired the Gearloose brands, products, tooling, proprietary formulations and intellectual property from Jon Rolfe.
A new company, Gearloose Lapidary Inc., was formed in Arizona, and operations and production moved from Massachusetts to Tempe, Arizona.
The change in ownership began a new chapter for Gearloose, but not a departure from what made the company successful.
We continue to produce and support the established Gearloose product line while refining manufacturing methods, simplifying products where unnecessary overlap exists, and continuing the development of new lapidary tools and materials.
Just as importantly, we continue listening to the people actually using the products. Feedback from faceters has always played an important role in Gearloose development, and that remains true today.
Still Gearloose
Nearly three decades after the first BATT™ experiments, the basic philosophy remains surprisingly simple:
Solve real problems. Test the solution. Listen to the people using it. Make it better.
Gearloose products are made for people who care about the details — flat facets, sharp meets, predictable prepolishing, excellent finishes and tools that work the way they are supposed to.
The company has changed. Materials and manufacturing continue to evolve. New products will come and some older products will eventually disappear.
But Gearloose will continue doing what it has done since 1997: experimenting, refining and building better tools for gem cutters.
Want to know how it all started? Visit The History of Gearloose to explore the products, ideas and milestones that shaped the company.