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Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums _ Gem and Mineral Specimen Finds or Processes _ How to Make A Cabochon

Posted by: Mrs.CP Dec 19 2006, 11:27 AM

I have been asked several times if I know of any info on the net reguarding cabochon making, so I found this link and thought I would share it.

Its a step by step process on how to make a cabochon.
http://www.inlandcraft.com/howto/cabbing/cabbing.htm

I myself learned from a few good friends online.

Denise

Posted by: ColoradoProspector Dec 19 2006, 12:31 PM

Good find honey! She sure is a smart lady!

Great reference for lapidary beginners!

CP

Posted by: Mrs.CP Sep 8 2009, 09:16 AM

Thanks Dan.

Cabochon - "A cabochon, from the Middle French caboche (head), is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted."

A good pointer, especially for beginners is to always keep your stones wet when grinding them!
Rock dust is very dangerous when inhaled.

Before working stones or turning on my cabbing machine, I spray down the diamond wheels really good to make sure the equipment is wet. I then turn on the bubblers and spray down the wheels again. This will reduce any dust that kicks up when turning it on. Always clean up your work area when done. A safe lapidary artist is a happy one! Good luck with all your future projects.

Posted by: Voltaire Dec 7 2011, 11:43 AM

I've learned to use a spray on oil (like WD-40) on the wheels after cleaning then with toothbrush and water.
Seems to limit the dust kicks at start, if there are any!

Posted by: Mrs.CP Dec 10 2011, 09:13 AM

We have been teaching club members how to make cabachons in the chat room while they observe us working the stones on the webcam. It's been alot of fun and hopefully everyone who attends is learning something.

I will be posting pictures soon of some of the cabachons we have made during the classes.

Posted by: Voltaire Dec 16 2011, 10:47 AM

Sounds like fun! Personally I'm faceting more then cabbing these days.

Posted by: Rashedun Feb 14 2016, 09:05 AM

Select an attractive illustration to match the size of your cabochon.
Apply a layer of Mod Podge to seal the print. This will protect the print once you glue it to the cabochon. Leave to dry for 15 minutes.
Place the cabochon on the print, and trace the outline.
Cut out the print just within the trace line. What you really want, is for the print to be a fraction smaller than the cabochon itself.
Clean the glass cabochon with water and dry with a tea towel.
Apply a layer of Mod Podge on both the glass cabochon and the print. Cover the surfaces entirely. The first time I tried this, I used far too little glue. Take your time to learn the correct amount you need.
While the Mod Podge is still fluid, place the print to the back side of the cabochon. You will probably see several pockets of air.
When you apply the glue, to will notice tiny air bubbles appearing in the Mod Podge. You will want to minimize this effect, so try to pop the largest bubbles with your brush.
Gently press the back to squeeze the air out. You may still slide the print slightly to remove any air bubbles.
All excess glue will appear from the sides. Don't worry if the cabochon is smudged, once dried up you can remove the Mod Podge with tap water and a tea cloth. Make sure you do not squeeze out all of the glue. What you really need, is fine layer between the print and the cabochon.
Turn the cabochon over and leave to dry. The Mod Podge will now appear white and fluid. This will dry up entirely clear and transparent.
After about an hour you will see that the glue has dried up all clear. You many notice tiny pinpoints on the print. Most likely, this is the result of using too little Mod Podge. These are not air bubbles, but the print being placed directly to the glass. As you get more experienced, this effect will occur less.
Cover the back side of the illustration with a layer of Mod Podge, to seal the print. When you glue the cabochon into a setting, you do not want the glue to damage the quality of the print. That's why we add a protective sealing layer on the back.
Leave this to dry again for about 15 minutes, and moisten a tea towel with tap water. No doubt there are some smudges of Mod Podge on the glass, these can be easily wiped. off. Give special attention to the sides of the cabochon, you really want the cabochon free of all glue residue.
Finally, I would advise you to let the cabochon rest for several hours before gluing it into a setting. Once the cabochon is well dried, you may use any kind of glue to place it securely into a jewelry setting.

Posted by: Mrs.CP Feb 16 2016, 08:23 AM

Welcome to the forums Rashedun! Sounds like a really fun project. Would work really well with a cabochon made from Quartz also and Colorado some really nice clear stuff to work with. Would even work with a really nice pale smokey quartz cabochon.