Cabochons in Jewelry

Stone setting is the art of securely attaching gemstones into jewelry. Two general types of gemstones are used for jewelry: cabochon and facet. Cabochon is a domed gemstone with flat back. Agates and Jaspers are usually cut this way while Tiger Eye for example must be cut this way in order to see the effects the stone have in them. In the case of a cabochon stone, the side of the stone is usually cut at a shallow angle, so that when the bezel is pushed over the stone that angle permits it to hold the stone in place and keep it tight. Cabochons can also be set into prong settings of various kinds, but the idea is the same - it's the prongs going over the angle of the stone that creates the pressure that holds the stone in place. Another way of using a cabochon in a piece of jewelry which is widely found nowadays is called "Wire Wrapping". Usually the material used for wires is sterling silver and while there are many unprofessional looking wire wrapped cabochons, there are quite a few professional, artistic, very aesthetic looking wire wrapped cabochons. Wire Wrapping is also commonly used with small tumbled rocks creating very unique looking pieces of jewelry.
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