How to Drill a Hole in a Jewelry Cabochon

A cabochon is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a rounded top with a flat bottom. The most important consideration when drilling a hole in a cabochon is the hardness of the gemstone. You don't want a stone that has fissures because it will crack during the drilling process, and you don't want a stone that is too soft because it will scratch, making the stone quite unattractive. Here are the steps for drilling a hole in a cabochon for jewelry.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hard cabochon, such as quartz, ruby, or garnet
• Drill with carbide drill bit, about 1/16 of an inch less in diameter than the size of the stone
• container of water

1. Fill a medium sized bowl with water. Make sure the bowl is large enough for you to hold the stone under water. Set the bowl on a level, water resistant work surface.

2. Identify where you would like the hole to be on your cabochon and mark with a fine point permanent marker. Make sure you do not drill too close to the edge of the stone.

3. Hold the cabochon under the water in the bowl. Using the carbide drill, slowly drill the hole in the identified spot.

4. Once the hole is drilled through the stone, you can flip it to drill through the same hole on the other side.

5. Rinse the cabochon in clear water and dry with a soft towel.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing, long sleeves, or bracelets that can get in the way of your drilling.
• Always unplug your drill when not in use.
• Never use the drill on your cabochons dry. Doing so can permanently damage the drill bits as well as the stone.

Resources

• Introduction to Lapidary
• Cabochon Cutting
• Secret Powers of Gemstones and Crystals
• BOA BO30021 Diamond Drill Set, 5-Piece