December Newsletter - The interesting story of cabochons

Once upon a time, almost all high quality gemstones were polished and shaped into circles or ovals with a flat base and a domed front – the cabochon. Sometimes the flat bottom was hollowed out to allow more light into the stone and let the gem shine and glow. These gemstones were usually collected from the gravel found in river beds but now we can dig up crystal clear gemstones from the depths of the earth’s crust and facet them with computer guided lasers but the cabochon lives on today with many gemstones still cut in this way - why?

Did you know? - By 3000 BC amulets were being worn around the neck and used as seals for nobles and officials to use for marking the wax on documents

The answer is almost as varied as the number of different gemstones available. Gemstones are cut and polished to show off their attributes in the best possible way and some stones have optical effects, patterns and inclusions that look much better cut as a cabochon rather than a faceted stone. Others are simply too soft to be faceted, amber for example is only 2.5 on Mohs hardness scale so is very unsuitable for faceting but ideal for a cabochon.
See our detailed article on the Mohs hardness scale here.

Certain gemstones really lend themselves to a cabochon cut, opals display what is known as play-of-color where all the hues of the rainbow dance before your eyes and are almost always cut as a cabochon to show this feature at its best.

Several different gemstones such as aquamarine, moonstone, tiger’s eye quartz and many others appear as chatoyant or cat’s eyes where an inclusion or a cavity within the stone causes a narrow band of light which resembles the eye of a cat, hence the name. These are cut as a cabochon to show this display at its best. Asterism is a similar phenomenon to cat’s eye but it has 4 or 6 rays of light so it looks like a star. This rare phenomenon can occur in rubies and sapphires as well as more common garnets and quartzes.

Not all cabochons are the classic dome shaped stones, some gemstones are more suited to be cut as randomly shaped cabochons because of the way nature has designed them. Boulder Opals and Spectrolites are especially spectacular when cut as cabochons as this cut really brings out the amazing colors shown in these two stones. They make stunning and eye-catching pendants, brooches and funky rings.

Boulder-Opal and Spectrolite — Spectrolite and Boulder Opal

Many stones have amazing swirling patterns within the gem which would not benefit at all from facet cuts but look incredible as cabochons, Pietersite and Seraphinite are two great examples of this. They are not your run of the mill gemstone and will certainly get attention.

Pietersite and Seraphinite Gemstones — Pietersite and Seraphinite

Finally some of the top gemstone names such as sapphire and ruby often appear in translucent or opaque form, not suitable for fine facet cutting but making gorgeous and more affordable cabochons.

Ruby and Sapphire Gemstones — Ruby and Sapphire

This could not be a December newsletter if I did not mention the December birthstones, Zircon, Tanzanite and Turquoise. Any of these stones would make an ideal gift for anyone celebrating a birthday in December or just as a wonderful Christmas present. We have several web pages devoted to all birthstones at GemSelect so why not check them all out?
See our birthstone articles here

Speaking of Christmas, we are often asked about which is, spiritually, the best gemstone for this time of year. We have an answer in two parts.

First which gemstones make the perfect gift?

I like to give green aventurine as they are the luckiest of all crystals, bringing wealth and prosperity and encouraging creativity and inspiration. If green is not their thing a great alternative is blue Lapis Lazuli, it brings calm to stressful situations and helps overcome depression, strengthens emotional ties and fosters friendships. A third choice is the orange to red sunstone, the crystal of ambition and motivation, giving confidence, deflecting negativity and rejuvenating all chakras.

Secondly, how about a couple of stones to give to yourself to help you get through this busy and stressful period? A carnelian gemstone will give you a great energy boost to help you finish all the Christmas preparations and still be awake to enjoy the fun! Rose Quartz is the stone of love, peace and generosity so what could be better at this time of year and it makes a great therapeutic bath stone, just pop one in the warm waters of a relaxing and rejuvenating soak.

Question

What is the difference between Zultanite and color change Diaspore?

Answer

Simple answer, none! Diaspore is a recently discovered gem that was first faceted as a gemstone in the 1980's, and has been promoted under the names Zultanite, Csarite and Color Change Diaspore. Gemologically, all three refer to the same material, a gem-quality variety of diaspore that exhibits a rare color-change optical phenomenon. It is mined from a single deposit in the mountains of Central Turkey, the names zultanite and Csarite are marketing or brand names, rather than official gemstone trade names. These names were introduced by either the company or the man with mining rights to the deposits, located in Murat Akgun. The name 'Zultanite' is assumed to reference the sultans who once ruled the Ottoman Empire.

Question

Hi, can you explain the term brilliant cut?

Answer

Brilliant (or diamond cut as it is usually called) is one of the most common types of gemstone cuts. Diamond cuts were developed by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919 to show off the beauty of diamond gemstones. Traditional diamond-cut gems are round brilliant cuts with 57 or 58 facets and are called "diamond cut" because the faceting style was developed to bring out the sparkle of diamonds. If you are looking for sparkle, then a diamond-cut gem is a great choice!

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