DIY Cabochon Machine

Grind and polish cabochon stones for jewelry.

Cabochons are crafted from slabs of stone and ground and polished into shape for jewelry. Jewelry makers often use a cabbing machine to create the cabochons after cutting the smaller stones from the slab. You can also use a lapidary machine and add different surfaces to the lap disks to smooth and polish the cabochon.

Things You'll Need

• Lapidary machine
• Course lap
• 1/4-inch foam rubber
• Wet/dry sandpaper
• Leather
• Safety goggles

Instructions

1. Place the cabochon against the course lap, which is an abrasive grinding disk. Grind the stone into the shape you want.

2. Clean the lap. Attach a quarter-inch foam rubber piece to the coarse lap. Cut sandpaper to match the shape of the lap. Place the cabochon piece against the sandpaper to polish the stone.

3. Remove the sandpaper. Affix a piece of leather on top of the foam rubber along the lap to polish the cabochon.

Tips & Warnings

• Place your lapidary machine on a level surface. This prevents the machine from rocking on an uneven surface and damaging the cabochon while polishing. Place on the proper safety goggles to protect your eyes while grinding and cutting the stone.

• Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing that can catch on moving machine parts. Plug in the machine only in an appropriately grounded outlet to prevent electrical shock.

References

• International Gem Society: Fundamentals of Lapidary Part 4, Cabochon Cutting
• Inland Lapidary: Slabs to Cabs: How to Make Lapidary Cabochons

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish