Fundamentals of Lapidary Part 4, Cabochon Cutting International Gem Society Dedicated to bringing quality information and educational services to everyone interested in gemstones. French, German, Italian, Portugese and Spanish speakers click here . Cabbing is the most popular form of gem cutting. It requires a fair amount of skill, but is something almost everyone can master. Rough material for cutting can be found or purchased inexpensively.
Many people never buy their rough and are content to cut the many stones they find or trade for.
As one gains skill, you can move into more desirable materials like turquoise and lapis lazuli. If you wish, you can graduate to highly valuable materials like cats eye chrysoberyl and black opal. The tools used for cabbing can be as inexpensive or elaborate as your taste runs. The most popular cabbing machine is the Genie by Diamond Pacific. It has six, permanently mounted wheels.