A beautiful stone found on a beach can be hand-polished to serve as a remembrance of a special vacation spot or summer cottage. Polishing the stone by hand will take time and effort, but will bring out the natural beauty of the stone. Large polished stones can serve as bookends or paperweight. Petoskey stones, which feature distinctive markings from fossilized coral and are found on the shores of the Great Lakes, will gain luster and beauty from hand polishing.