The cabbing machine either has silicon carbide wheels or diamond wheels. During cutting the stones is held towards the cutting wheel with soft rotating movements. The stone can either be held by hand or put on a stick with heated stone-cement that is then allowed to cool off. Very small stones can be difficult to hold in ones hands and is better fastened on a cutting-stick. Both the cutting wheels and polishing pads should be provided with water during cutting and polishing in order to cool the stone and the equipment.
Larger stones have to be cut into slices before they can be cut into gemstones.
This is done with a slabsaw, a stonesaw with a diamond-blade. For a slabsaw usually an oilbased coolant is used. Remember to protect your lungs and purchase the health-friendliest oil you can find. Once a slice of the stone has been cut, it is time to mark out where the gemstone should be placed. Then a trimsaw, a smaller stonesaw, is used to cut along the markings.