PURPOSE: To properly and high-precisely provide a necessary quantity of optical elements formed in the shape of a ball and having a necessary size by a method wherein a containing chamber to contain a member to be polished is formed in the under surface of a vertically and horizontally movable holder, and a polishing liquid hole is formed in the holder.

CONSTITUTION: A holder 3 is vertically and horizontally movably mounted on the plane lap layer of a rotating lower pan 5. A ball 4 being a member to be polished is contained in a containing chamber 16 formed in the under surface of the holder 3. With this state, rotation polishing is applied as a lapping agent is fed through a polishing liquid feed hole 2 formed in the holder 3 to provide an optical element in the shape of a ball polished with given precision.