Quite simply, the Lightning Lap is a Space-Age composite plastic material with characteristics some have compared to a ceramic lap. Yet it is unique with a with its own special abilities to render a finished gem in a fraction of the usual time. This is due to an exceptional hardness, flatness, and non-retentive permeability from diamond polishes, most chemicals, and lubricants. The LL provides a 2-sided, smooth, flat, hard, durable faceting lap which is suitable for oxide or diamond polishing of gemstones. The user must only clean the LL before “recharging” with the next polishing medium.

For lightning fast polishing of quartz, the LL comes standard with a "special" cerium oxide coating applied to one side, while the second side is left natural. LL's special coatings can be used with just water as the lubricant, or with a weak slurry if preferred. One can also order an LL with both sides natural.

Diamond and oxide polishes are well-suited to the natural side of the LL. However, compared to other laps, polishes respond differently on the LL surface. In fact, the LL can truly be considered a cutting lap as well as a polishing lap. Everything from 600 to 200,000 diamond mesh has been used on the LL. At the same time, both diamond and oxides can "work" aggressively and yet smoothly to produce scratch-free, remarkably sharp, flat facets.

Life teaches us that no two people are exactly alike in skills, interpretation, or execution of instructions. Coincidently, the products we use to acquire the desired sparkle of a gemstone can be as varied, as the knowledge of how to use them. To make gem polishing even more confusing, the gem rough we encounter often presents us with some obstinent zones or particular facets which seem to resist all our efforts.

The new LL coatings developed within this current year of 2009, polish quickly with only water as a lubricant. But there are many other polishes, compounds, and lubricants used for polishing on the LL. Besides distilled, or filtered water, there are Oxide slurries, buffed Trewax with diamond, Silicone Extender, Olive oil; Mineral Oil, Teflon Grease, The "BEAST" Polish™, MIRROR BLEND POLISH™, VOODOO Polish™, Battstiks™, and a variety other lubricating creams, pastes and polishes can be useful. All of these polishes and compounds should be scrubbed from the LL using LAVA soap, or Kitchen Cleanser, and rinsed clean before attempting to apply another polish to the LL surface! Of course, some users choose to keep a single polish on the lap to be used again. So they own more than one LL for their various polishing needs. Other folk “zone” their LL with several rings of different polishing compounds so they can move from one polish to the next without cleaning the lap.

The LL's unique lapping surface is becoming the 21st Century solution to the polishing woes of the past. After all, almost anyone can cut a stone, but to me, “Polishing IS everything”, so why trust it to anything less than the best?