Emery

Emery stone is a granular metamorphic or igneous rock that is rich in corundum. It is a mixture of oxide minerals, typically corundum, magnetite, spinel and/or hematite. It is the most common form of natural corundum that has been used to manufacture abrasives.

**Emery nail files:** “Emery boards” are a manicure and nail-care product that is made by gluing abrasive papers to a thin piece of cardboard. They obtained their name in the 1800s when crushed emery was used as the abrasive. Today’s emery boards are not made with emery. Instead, many of them have a coarse side of synthetic corundum (aluminum oxide) and a fine side of garnet abrasive.

The use of emery as an abrasive has declined significantly in the last several decades. It has been almost completely replaced by manufactured abrasives such as silicon carbide. Silicon carbide has a Mohs hardness of 9 to 9.5. It is inexpensive and usually performs better than natural abrasives made from corundum or emery.

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