Polishing Iceland Spar

[Answerprancer]

Hi, last christmas I bought myself a lovely great big rhomb of calcite (about 3" square by 2" thick) and today I decided to polish it.
The method I chose was this:
Using a flat pane of glass to ensure a flat surface, I started working on it with sheets of wet and dry paper soaked with warm water and a drop or two of liquid soap, I worked up from 250 grit to 400, 800 and finally 1200 - same method with all; each sheet was laid on the glass and I used a moderately fast circular motion on the wetted paper.
I was careful to wash away all traces of slurry between the different grades and when I thought the surface was ready, I finally used tin oxide polishing powder on a folded up wet J-cloth.
Fascinating eh? :-)
Now here's the question: the result is fairly good but I'd really like an absolute mirror finish and I just aint getting it with the cloth and tin oxide method - how can I achieve this?
TIA
(photos to follow if anyone's interested).

[Obiter]

For once you have left me speechless!

[Answerprancer]

No I haven't ^ :-)
When you say NOTHing - I'll consider you speechless ;-)

[Obiter]

When I first read your post I thought, "Here we go, is it handbag time?"

[Answerprancer]

Nah - that was in response to the late night spammers.

[Answerprancer]

Are you going to tell everyone I'm a fraud again?

[Obiter]

Certainly not. You are obviously genuine as your OP proves. I am sorry that I am unable to help you resolve the issue but read on a subliminal level it is very funny.

[SirOracle]

Nor can I help you Answerprancer , but perhaps if you have a good "working" jeweller anywhere near to you,they could give you some advice.

[shoota]

http://calciteproperties.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/how-to-polish-and-clean-calcite-crystals.html

[Answerprancer]

Thanks for that, Shoota - I did stumble upon that one before I came here.
What I am trying to do is 'flat' polish my piece of calcite.

[shoota]

I was going to suggest a medium such as jewellers rouge, or a gloss furniture polish if you re happy the surface is smooth enough, spread on a flat piece of leather and worked in a circular motion.
But I know nowt about it from experience so I thought I'd check and found that these people seem to suggest similar.

[Answerprancer]

I think you're right about the leather (or denim as has also been suggested).
Admittedly I am trying to cut corners (pardon the pun) and what I really need is the use of a stone polishing 'lap' but in the absence of such a thing I am scouring (pardon the other pun) for a home-made solution.
The tin oxide powder I have is similar to jeweller's rouge.