Instructions for making Cabochons and Wire Wrapping Cabochon Jewelry
Making Silver Bezel Cabochon Jewelry
Make Cabochons from Stones.
Wire Wrap Cabochons to make Jewelry.
Wire Wrapping Cabochon Pendants, Rings
Bracelets, and Earrings.
How to Make Silver Bezels for mounting Cabochon Jewelry.
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Introduction to Making Cabochon Jewelry
This website is an informational site for people interested in learning about making cabochons and their uses in cabochon jewelry. Information on this site will also include working with stones and slabs for cabochons, lapidary tools and methods, metalsmithing / silversmithing, wire wrapping, wire wrapping tools and their uses, and a gallery of work produced by the artist and a gallery of cabochons available for purchase.
There are many ways to become a knowledgeable lapidary or wire-wrapping hobbyist. Some may begin with an interest in stringing beads and progress to an interest in rocks and stones for that purpose or for wire wrapping. Certainly there are local clubs all over the country as well as local classes that would cater to your specific interest in most areas. Classes are a great way to learn about rocks, rock-hounding, minerals, history and stories of gemstones, gem faceting, cabochons, wire wrapping cabochons, wire wrapped jewelry and beyond. You can also learn by video and DVD's available on the market.
Wire Wrap - Rhodochrosite Pendant Wire Wrap - Jasper Pendant
The difference between Stones, Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones for Jewelry Making
Stones can be a misleading term - do you mean a gemstone or a piece of rock? It may also depend to whom you are speaking. Generally speaking, as it relates to the study of the earth (geology), you are referring to rocks and minerals - not stones. Stones - for jewelers and gem collectors would only mean gemstones.
Rocks are defined as a natural aggregate of two or more minerals.
Minerals are defined as a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid constituent of the earth's crust and have definite chemical compositions and crystal structures. When I say stones on this website "Infinity Stones and Metals", I mean all stones (actually both rocks and minerals).
I will begin by sharing some information about taking rocks and slabs of rock to fashion into cabochons which can be used in making jewelry such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, bolos, belt buckles, belts and other beautiful adornments.
Cutting Rocks and Slabs - Making Cabochons for Jewelry
As I previously mentioned - I began making beaded items. This naturally lead to exploration for other methods of making jewelry. I began by taking a Lapidary class at a local community center. This is where I have learned to use many machines and tools. The first item that I learned about was how to make a cabochon from a rock or gemstone material. A cabochon is a gemstone (rock) which has been shaped and polished as opposed to being facetted. Generally speaking this is a form with a domed shaped top and flat on the bottom, The outline shape varies - ovals are very popular though you will see circles, oblongs, trapezoids and many other freeform designed cabs.
How to make a Cabochon for your Jewelry
The steps in producing a cabochon begin with the selection of material (rock) to be used and a decision on the desired shape of the cabochon. Cabochons are typically made with opaque materials where the transparent stones are typically faceted for maximum brilliance and shine.
Once you have your material, you must cut the rock into a slab with a flat bottom for the cabochon and enough height to allow you to shape the dome of the cabochon. You may decide to use a template to trace the desired shape and size onto your slab of rock. You can mark this line with a sharpie or with a scribe made from aluminum, which does not rub off during the process of making the cabochon.
 
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Cutting a rock into slabs for cabochons / A closer look as a slab is cut from a large rock
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Next, you will trim away the other materials until you have gotten your desired shape free. You can achieve this with a trim saw. Now you are ready to mount the roughly shaped stone onto a dop stick. This will allow you to handle the piece and hold it to the grinding wheels and give you freedom to turn the stone to shape the dome as you desire. The stick allows you to hold the stone in positions that cannot be easily held by hand. The stick may be a piece of wooden dowel or could be a nail (file off the pointed end) with a large head. There are commercially available dop sticks from aluminum as well. To mount the rock to the dop stick you use dop cement, which has a wax base. This wax is available commercially prepared and ready to use - you simply melt in a dop pot.
Once the wax is melted you can dip the stick into the wax and the press the end of the stick with wax onto a cold metal plate to form a flat face that will be applied to the flat stone surface. (Your goal here to end up with an area that almost comes to edges of the cab - but allows room for trimming and polishing and still not be right at the dop wax - so you aren't grinding down the wax on your wheels). Once cooled dip the dop stick again into the wax and this time press the fluid wax end of the dop stick to the stone. Allow the stick and stone to rest on the cold metal plate for a time. Once complete cool to the touch you are ready to begin to form the stone.
How Cabochons take Shape
Grinding wheels are used to shape the stone into the cabochon shape. Grinding is done wet so that the work is kept cool and prevents clogging of the wheels. Begin to make several cuts at increased angles removing layers much the same as peeling an apple for example. The flat spot on the top of the cabochon should become smaller with each progressive layer. Typically these layers are removed on a coarse grinding wheel. Beginners may find it advisable to use a finer grit wheel until they comfortable with this process. Continue to rotate and move the stone to shape the top and the entire curve of the crown evenly. Check it frequently for accuracy. To be sure that the flat top has been totally removed you may wish to place an "X" on the top of the stone. This cross will disappear when the flat spot has been ground away.
Continue to use light pressure as you rock and rotate the dopped stone against the revolving wheel of the grinder. Typically you would move from a 220 grit to a 400 and finish smoothing the cabochon on the 600 grit wheel. Inspect the stone under a magnifier to be sure that you have no visible scratches. If there are any - remove them with additional sanding as polishing will not remove them.
Polishing Cabochons for making Jewelry
Polishing can now be done. Thought there are numerous techniques and polishing mediums, diamond abrasive is the most effective polishing medium. Cerium Oxide on a felt buff is a very popular compound and successfully used for many stones to achieve maximum polish.
The next step in the process is removal of the stone from the dop stick. This can be achieved by placing the stone and stick in the freezer for several minutes. Many times it will just break free with a bit of pressure applied and sometimes you may need to pry the stones from the dop sticks (do this carefully). There will then be residual wax remaining on the cabochon. Submerge the cabochon in a jar of denatured alcohol for a while - overnight even. Remove from the alcohol and dry off - it should be totally clean now and ready for mounting or to use in a wire wrapped jewelry design.
How to make a Silver Bezel for a Cabochon
There are really two methods to create a silver bezel for your cabochon. You can carve a bezel from wax to custom fit the cabochon. After you have carved the wax bezel you will most likely send it out to be cast in silver. To cast silver is really a whole other specialty within itself. The method of carving a bezel and casting is the method that you might select if you want to have a very substantial bezel with a good amount of silver to show and perhaps you have a really great freeform cabochon of a favorite gemstone material, or it is special for some other reason. More information on wax carving bezels will be available on this site soon.
Another method to create a silver bezel would be to create it with commercially produced bezel wire and flat sheet silver for the bezel backing - with the use of silversmithing techniques. More information on Silversmithing techniques for the creation of silver bezels will be available on this site soon.
How to wire wrap a Cabochon for pendants, bracelets,
necklaces, earrings and rings
The method of wrapping wire around cabochons (or rocks or faceted gemstones) is very popular and one of the simple ways to create jewelry. Relative beginners to jewelry making can within an afternoon create a pretty fashionable necklace or pendant and without a lot of tools, equipment or materials required.
The best place to start for many is with some wire wrapping classes that you might find locally. Some other good choices for learning to wire wrap is thru instructional books that you can find in local craft stores or online. Some people find it difficult to learn in this method. Others find that seeing someone else demonstrate a technique is an easier way to learn. You can find instructional wire wrapping DVDs on line from a number of accomplished wire sculptors.
In getting started with wire-wrapping there are a few things you should know about the materials you will be using as well as tools. First we will discuss the wire. Since you are just starting out and are apt to make a few (or a lot) of mistakes and will therefore have a number of piles of junked wire pieces - it might be a good idea to use practice wire because it is inexpensive and can be purchased at some hardware stores. Practice wire in 18 gauge copper is a good choice to start with. Once you are comfortable with a design, you can choose from other (better) wire that is available .
Usually a wire design will tell you the type of wire as well as size, gauge, hardness, shape and lengths for the project - otherwise these are considerations that you will have to make as it will greatly impact your completed project.
Wire Size for Making Jewelry
Depending on what you are planning to make the size of wire you use will very also according to your personal preferences too. The larger the gauge the smaller the wire is (a 12 gauge wire is larger than an 18 gauge wire for example) . Gauges of wire also vary in hardness from one metal to another. For example the same gauge of wire in silver is harder that the same gauge of wire in copper and gold wire in the same gauge would be harder than either the copper or silver wire in same gauge.
Wire Type for Making Jewelry
Types of wire comes down to personal preferences mainly. You may select copper (a good practice wire) or galvanized wire (also good practice wire and found at most hardware stores - though it has a dull silver color). Sterling silver wire is 92.5 percent pure silver in composition and the rest of made of of metal alloys, which provide strength to the wire. You might also consider coated wire. This is wire that is coated with color and available in many colors and gauges and found at many craft stores locally as well as online. Remember though that because this is coated wire it can easily be marked or scratched if you are using wire tools as well as wear and tear on the finished item. You may also want to consider Fine Silver - it is 99.9 percent pure silver and is softer than sterling silver. Because fine silver has fewer alloys it does not tarnish as quickly as sterling silver does. Gold-filled wire has the look of gold but not the expense. This is not to be confused with plated (which is only one layer of gold). Gold filled is general many layers of gold and will last a long, long time if properly cared for. Then you could consider real gold wire - once you feel that your competence and confidence level are where they need to be. This wire is available in a number of karat and colors ( white gold, rose gold, 10 karat up to 24 karat).
Wire Shapes for Making Jewelry
There is round wire, half-round wire, and square wire. For many projects you may simply want to use round wire - however by changing the shape of the wire you can really get a different look for the finished products that you will create.
Wire Hardness for making Jewelry
Generally speaking - you will make this decision when you are dealing with silver or gold-filled wire. A wire is soft and becomes harder as it is worked either by the crafter or the machine that is working it to achieve a specific hardness. As a wire is hardened from soft to hard the additional stress or working of the wire will eventually cause it to the point of breaking. Dead soft wire is very soft wire and bends easily with your hands. This wire is often used in wire sculpture techniques. Half-Hard wire is harder than dead soft be not as hard as hard or full-hard wire. This wire can still pliable for most applications and is widely called for in most patterns. Hard wire or Full hard as it may also be called is quite hard and not very pliable. It is often used when wrapping wires together to create strength and instead of having to solder wire together.
Next we will talk about tools and then get started on some basic techniques for wire wrapping cabochons. Remember, there are a number of ways to wire-wrap a cabochon. The method we will begin with will be a simple cage to enclose the cabochon without a lot of frilly curly wires everywhere..a simple and clean design - that will give you what you need to be successful. You can always get fancy later as your skills improve
Tools for Making Jewelry
The tools you will need to wirewrap will not be a huge investment. You will need a basic set of jewelry pliers, a couple of cutters to begin with, some files and a dull knife. You will also benefit from a very small tumbler with stainless steel shot and perhaps a sonic jewelry cleaner. I would estimate the entire investment could be anywhere from $100 to $400 depending on the quality and condition of the tools you select (whether new or used and the actual quality/grade of product you select to begin with).
The following list of tools will cover the usual beginner wire wrapper's needs and as you expand you abilities you will naturally add on more tools and toys.
Flat nosed pliers
Bent-nosed pliers
Round nosed pliers
Crimping pliers
Wire cutters
Jewelers' files
Ruler with mm and inches
Sharpie marking pen
Pencil
If you have information that I may share or would reciprocate a link to/from your site please contact me. If you wish to share sites that would be helpful and hopefully interesting, to others with similar interests, please contact me as I would like this to be a helpful, educational and evolving site.
INFINITY Stones and Metals | Information on Making Jewelry - Faceting - Making Cabochons
Wire Wrapping Cabochons - How to Make Silver Bezel Cabochon Jewelry
Debbie Frybarger / P.O. Box 381164, Murdock, Florida 33938
Contact: Phone: 615-496-5001 / Email Debbie
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last update 09/10/08
