cabochon n : a highly polished convex-cut but unfaceted gem

English

Noun

1. A convex-cut, polished stone.

The procedure is to cut a slab of the rough rock, then to stencil a shape from a template. The slab is then trimmed to near the marked line using a diamond blade saw - called a trim saw, and sometimes followed by nibbling to the line. The purpose of nibbling is to speed the shaping of the material when using silicon carbide grinding wheels. Most lapidary workshops and production facilities have moved away from silicon carbide to diamond grinding wheels or flat lap disks.

Once the piece is trimmed and nibbled, it is usually mounted on a handle to assist manipulation. This procedure is called dopping: It is normally done by adhering the stone with wax onto a length of wooden dowel called a dop stick. The piece is then ground to the template line, the back edges may be bevelled, and finally the top is sanded and polished to a uniform dome.

External links

• How to make cabochons
• Cabochon classes
• Guide to dichroic fused glass cabochons