Abstract: A rosette shaped polishing pad includes a tough, flexible substrate, which is coated on one side with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive for securing the pad to a polishing lap or the like, and on its opposite side with a flexible, water soluble matrix containing polishing particles such as cerium oxide, zirconium oxide, iron oxide, or the like, having a particle size in the range of approximately 0.5 to 15 microns. The polishing layer is produced by mixing a water soluble polyalkylene oxide/phenolic complex with an acrylic latex, and an alcohol slurry containing polishing particles in the form of, for example, cerium oxide particles. In use, water at any desired flow rate is applied to the interface between the lens which is being polished and the layer of polishing material on the pad.