# Cabochon

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{{Short description|Gemstone that has been shaped and polished}}
{{one source|date=October 2020}}
[[File:Turmalin-cabochon.jpg|thumb|A collection of [tourmaline](/source/tourmaline) cabochons in a variety of colours]]

A '''cabochon''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|æ|b|u|ʃ|ɒ|n}}; {{etymology|frm|caboche|head}}) is a [gemstone](/source/gemstone) that has been shaped and polished, as opposed to [facet](/source/facet)ed. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) [obverse](/source/obverse) with a flat reverse.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rock and Gem |publisher= [DK](/source/DK_(publisher)) |isbn= 0-7566-0962-3 |edition= 1st American}}</ref> Cabochon was the default method of preparing gemstones before [gemstone cutting](/source/lapidary) developed.<ref>
{{cite book
 |title                = Cutting and Polishing Gemstones - A Collection of Historical Articles on the Methods and Equipment Used for Working Gems
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=HHB-CgAAQBAJ
 |publisher            = Read Books Ltd
 |publication-date     = 2014
 |isbn                 = 9781473395398
 |access-date          = 21 August 2022
 |quote                = The cutting and carving of gems were probably first done in ancient Babylon several thousand years before Christ.
}} 
</ref>

==Application==
Cutting ''en cabochon'' (French: "in the manner of a cabochon") is usually applied to opaque gems, while faceting is usually used for transparent stones. Hardness is also taken into account as softer gemstones with a hardness lower than 7 on the [Mohs hardness scale](/source/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness) are easily scratched, mainly by [silicon dioxide](/source/silicon_dioxide) in dust and grit. This would quickly make translucent gems unattractive—instead they are polished as cabochons, making the scratches less evident.

In asteriated stones such as star [sapphire](/source/sapphire)s and [chatoyant](/source/chatoyancy) stones such as cat's eye [chrysoberyl](/source/chrysoberyl), a [domed](/source/elliptic_dome) cabochon cut can show the star or eye, which would not be visible in a faceted cut.

The usual shape for cutting cabochons is an [ellipse](/source/ellipse) because the eye is less sensitive to small asymmetries in an ellipse than in a uniformly round shape such as a circle. Additionally, the elliptical shape, combined with the dome, is considered attractive. An exception is cabochons on some watch crowns, which are circular.

The procedure involves cutting a slab of the rough rock with a slab saw, and then stencilling a shape from a template. The slab is then trimmed near the marked line using a [diamond blade](/source/diamond_blade) saw—called a trim saw. Diamond-impregnated wheels or [silicon carbide](/source/silicon_carbide) wheels can be used to grind the rough rock down. Most [lapidary](/source/lapidary) workshops and production facilities have moved away from silicon carbide to diamond grinding wheels or flat lap disks.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

Once the piece is trimmed it can be "dopped" or completed by hand. "Dopping" is normally done by adhering the stone with hard 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.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:moonstone.cabochons.arp.jpg|[Moonstone](/source/Moonstone_(gemstone)) cabochons in a [jeweller's](/source/jewellery) window
Image:Cabochon on watch crown.jpg|A round [sapphire](/source/sapphire) cabochon on the crown of a men's dress [watch](/source/watch).
Image:amber.pendants.800pix.050203.jpg|[Amber](/source/Amber) pendants. The oval cabochon [pendant](/source/pendant) is 52 × 32{{nbsp}}mm (2 × 1.3{{nbsp}}in).
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Cabochons}}
{{wiktionary|cabochon}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110413022746/http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/oplc_cab.html Cabochon Making 101]

Category:Gemstone cutting

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cabochon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabochon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabochon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.