Lapidary 101: Cutting & Polishing
Taking your finds from rough rocks to sparkling cabochons. The art of stone cutting.
Tumbling
The gateway to lapidary. You put rough rocks, water, and grit into a barrel and let it roll for weeks. The result is smooth, rounded, polished stones. It's the easiest and cheapest way to finish agates and jaspers.
Cabbing
Cabochons (cabs) are stones with a flat bottom and a domed top. You use a trim saw to cut a slab, then grinding wheels to shape the dome, and finally polishing wheels to bring out the shine. This is the standard cut for opaque stones.
Faceting
The art of cutting precise geometric flat faces on a clear gemstone to reflect light. This requires a faceting machine and a lot of precision. This is how diamonds, sapphires, and other transparent gems are typically cut.
Carving
Using diamond burrs and rotary tools (like a Dremel) to sculpt stone into complex shapes. This allows for artistic expression beyond simple geometric forms.