It was only because the rings are too close together to be able to discern individual rings, even with a 500x microscope. Polishing them with cerium oxide followed by jeweler's rouge, both applied to a buffing wheel, made them pop and much easier to see.
Before retiring and selling my business, I operated a contract glazing corp, so we always had on hand the tools and supplies to buff out any scratches in materials like glass/mirrors, ceramic tile, granite, .... . It wasn't much effort to buff a piece of wood up nice and pretty. Just dress the wheel and flip a switch.
8" of snow and ice here yesterday. I'm ready for spring!
Al
