Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2019 0:26:08 GMT -5
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 9, 2019 2:34:28 GMT -5
Great cabs. I prefer high domed cabs as well.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 9, 2019 9:02:18 GMT -5
Really great job on those. Love the 1st one
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Post by toiv0 on Feb 9, 2019 11:56:55 GMT -5
I am a big fan of high dome cabs. Makes the stone a centerpiece when you set them, and as always you step up to the plate. These are awesome.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 9, 2019 13:00:02 GMT -5
They are all beautiful! That first one is killer.
I'm a high dome lover, too, but there is a place for both. Sometimes the only way to show a picture stone off well without losing the scene is to cut a low dome.
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Post by socalagatehound on Feb 10, 2019 15:47:37 GMT -5
Love those high domes! Super craftsmanship! Yes, it's hard to find thick slabs of the killer cab quality materials. Instead, they seem to be slabbing them thinner and thinner to get more slabs from the rock. On the other hand, some of those end cuts are just about right for me
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 10, 2019 18:27:50 GMT -5
.... that amy sage.... WOW!
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Post by lpl on Feb 10, 2019 20:06:55 GMT -5
Paul those are amazing as always! Love the amy sage and the second one. What's that...dendritic opal? I'm a sucker for dendritic material and those are stunning!
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2019 20:57:50 GMT -5
Paul those are amazing as always! Love the amy sage and the second one. What's that...dendritic opal? I'm a sucker for dendritic material and those are stunning! Thanks, those 2 are Amy sage also...just no amy!
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Post by stephan on Feb 11, 2019 10:55:18 GMT -5
Nicely done. Great work on beautiful material.
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bmw2003
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2018
Posts: 14
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Post by bmw2003 on Feb 11, 2019 13:07:36 GMT -5
Your design and choice of all of your stones are fantastic. You are right in that high dome cabs are so much more appealing!
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Post by lpl on Feb 11, 2019 13:55:51 GMT -5
Paul those are amazing as always! Love the amy sage and the second one. What's that...dendritic opal? I'm a sucker for dendritic material and those are stunning! Thanks, those 2 are Amy sage also...just no amy! Wow. They are spectacular!
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Post by miket on Feb 11, 2019 15:21:33 GMT -5
Very sweet cabs! Kind of late to this thread, but the high dome thing is good to know. Sometimes the slabs that I cut with the tile saw are a little thick and I thought I was doing something wrong. Apparently there's no wrong or right exactly, just personal preference and what looks best for a particular stone?
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Post by accidentalrockhound on Feb 12, 2019 11:28:26 GMT -5
I like high domes because they are bold and show the patterns in a very visible way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 14:44:21 GMT -5
The main advantage of thicker slabs is that they make it much easier to cut larger cabs. The main disadvantage is also that they allow cutting larger, heavier cabs. There are good reasons the old-timers cut those vintage materials on the thin side (and it had nothing to do with maximizing yield, though that is a good reason today when slabbing scarcer varieties).
For gem cab collectors, big gems are welcome. They can show off stones that don't have small, tight patterns. They stand out and sell well at gem shows. High domes can be necessary for cat's eye and star phenomena stones. High domes also deepen the color for pale stones.
However, for jewelry designers and wearers, thick cabs and slabs can be a turn-off. For one thing, stones are heavy, and the thicker, the heavier. Aside from wearability factors (chains cutting creases in the back of necks, brooches that rip holes in clothing, earrings that tear at lobes, buckles heavy enough to pull down as much as they hold up, bracelets hefty enough to crack a glass tabletop or dent a car door, etc.), a jewelry designer is concerned with his/her creations being balanced and lying flat - especially in multi-stone designs. Manufacturers also consider how to maximize the yield of each slab (e.g., how they might use the scraps left over for smaller side stones once a main stone is cut out). High dome cabs also are terrible for many types of gemstone which need more light to get into the stone to show off to best effect. I cannot count the number of plume agates I've seen that have been ruined by a high dome.
So, my slab and cab collector side really does like big, thick gems in general, but I can also not imagine inflicting those same stones on a jewelry wearer. The end purpose/use of your cabochon should factor into its design, including its thickness. I personally think that someone who learns to cut lower-dome, lighter gems has some advantages, all other factors being similar.
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Post by miket on Feb 12, 2019 15:35:01 GMT -5
Very well put explanation, thanks @rocks2dust !
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Post by parfive on Feb 12, 2019 17:24:32 GMT -5
I don’t make cabs for jewelry and after pattern, maximizing size is next.
Higher dome generally just means more tedious grinding required.
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
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Post by victor1941 on Feb 19, 2019 12:51:55 GMT -5
I like the high domes for some material but agree with Rocks2dust that many plumes must be thin to show the plume pattern. They can be quartz capped if a high dome is desired. The flatness of some west Texas plumes is lost if high domed.
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