Cabs and Settings

For what you are describing, you buy the blank pieces and cut to match. Most template companies offer standard templates (ovals and circles) that are calibrated for use in jewelry settings.

Here is a link to a good set of standardized cabochon templates. These same style templates have been in production for over 50 years. The ovals and rectangles are the most common standardized sizes for those shapes and are the easiest to find commercial made settings for:
www.rockshed.com/rock-shop/lapidary-equipment/other-useful-stuff/set-of-5-colored-templates/

And as you mentioned the rounds are easy. As for most other shapes and sizes, if you want to set them, you're either going to have to learn to wrap and/or make settings. Or find someone else who can and is willing to do it for you.

Howbeit, a Riker Mount case full of beautiful unset cabochons can stand alone on display most anywhere!

I ran into a problem like you're describing when I was making cabs to put in some belt buckle blanks. The circles were fine...because the buckles were made for silver dollars...so I just used a silver dollar as a template. The ovals were a different story. I have oval templates which cover nearly every oval shape. However, none of them seemed to match the shape I needed exactly.

In a case like that, you can use a piece of paper and trim it as needed until it fits your mount perfectly...then use that paper as your template for your cabs...

Lots of great info here already. I would probably do the trace the bezel method and then test fit it in during initial shaping stage. Place a piece of dental floss in the bezel cup first so you can pop the stone out if you accidentally get it stuck too tight.

When I first started I didn’t know how to do silversmithing, or that it was fairly easy to learn. So, I bought some pre-made simple bezel settings, mostly ovals of various sizes cause that’s all that was available. That was a decade ago and I still haven’t used them. As I got further into the hobby and saw all that was possible for settings I realized I didn’t care much for the style of bezel cups I’d purchased. Some had a decorative perimeter or bail style I didn’t really like. I’d bought them because I thought that’s all there was out there for setting cabs. Anyway I ended up finding a beginner metalsmithing class and in one class was capable of making my own bezel settings. Now, there are a ton of YouTube videos out there on this too. You may find that as you start learning to cab, you’ll be exposed to other areas of this hobby and be more drawn to another style of setting. So I say all that as sort of a not to worry suggestion. Maybe just start making cabs in all shapes to learn and get practice. You’ll probably start having a favorite shape to cut. Try some standard ovals for easy drop-in pre-made settings too. But you’ll have a variety of ways to set them no matter the shape and could always try selling or trading some too.

If you start cabbing you cut the stone to fit the setting. If you start making jewelry you buy a stone and make the setting to fit. There are more jewelers out there than cabbers I think, so most people seem to want the finished cab then make jewelry around it.

When I started I purchased mounts them cut the stones for them. The set of templates above was standard fare years ago. Templates have multiplied and all my new ones do not list sizes.

Thanks for the responses. There is a lot to consider.





Meanwhile, I finished cutting some slabs for cabs. I'll begin working them in the next day or so.

Well, I got a few "done".  First ones.  The Mookaite was tricky, the whiter parts are much softer than the rest of the stones and I didn't create perfectly round cabs.  Plus, these and the Oolite had several chips on the flat sides.  I'm going to leave these as they are and hopefully will improve with more practice.  I was surprised at how much water was used, four gallons or so with two to three cabs.  But, better more than not enough.  And, shine could be better.

Cloudinary just lets you select files to directly upload, which it looks like you accomplished. 

Flickr has an option called  BBC code which you can embed  in the tab called BBCode on this site as well.  Nice Cabs