*~FINISHED~* Cabochon Challenge, Dec 2020 Theme: Ring Sized

Welcome to the December 2020, RTH Cabochon Challenge contest! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to enter the contest regardless of experience or skill level. This contest continues to be just about having fun and challenging ourselves to step outside our comfort zones and learn and grow, while dazzling with our beautiful rock creations. Each month's contest is contained in a single challenge thread and has a theme that serves as the primary criteria for voting. The voting period will consistently occur the first seven days of the following month and the winner has the opportunity to choose the theme for the contest occurring two months after the contest they won (ie: December winner chooses February theme). During the voting period, all contest submission posts and responses will be removed from view in order to help level the playing field. All original content will be replaced in the thread at the close of voting.

Prize: Winner will receive a teeshirt or mug of their choice from the RTH Store.

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Links to all of the original front and side submission photos can be found below the photo collage.

All of the original contest submission posts and responses have been removed from view during the voting period in order to remove as much of the popularity contest aspect from the voting as possible. All original content will be replaced in this thread at the close of voting. We sincerely appreciate all the feedback comments we get and want to continue to improve the contest as we go so keep 'em coming!



Photo Links:
Cabochon 1 - front
Cabochon 1 - side

Cabochon 2 - front
Cabochon 2 - side

Cabochon 3 - front
Cabochon 3 - side

Cabochon 4 - front
Cabochon 4 - side

Cabochon 5 - front
Cabochon 5 - side

Cabochon 6 - front
Cabochon 6 - side

Cabochon 7 - front
Cabochon 7 - side

Cabochon 8 - front
Cabochon 8 - side

Cabochon 9 - front
Cabochon 9 - side

Cabochon 10 - front
Cabochon 10 - side

Cabochon 11 - front
Cabochon 11 - side

Cabochon 12 - front
Cabochon 12 - side

Cabochon 13 - front
Cabochon 13 - side

Cabochon 14 - front
Cabochon 14 - side

Cabochon 15 - front
Cabochon 15 - side

Cabochon 16 - front
Cabochon 16 - side

Cabochon 17 - front
Cabochon 17 - side

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December 2020 RTH Cabochon Challenge

Contest Theme:
Chosen by October winner @jadedvision

Cabochon cut for a ring (max size 20mm x 30mm)
Agate or jasper with the following rules-
no gem silica
no chrysoprase
no purple chalcedony
no blue chalcedony
Carnelian can play if it’s banded

Contestants are asked to follow the guidelines above to create and enter a cabochon no larger than 20mm x 30mm. As always, anyone who has no suitable material that matches the theme and wants a few pieces to work with free of charge can send me a private message and I'll make that happen.


Contest Period:
December 4th thru December 31st at 11:59pm PST


Voting Period:
January 1st thru 7th (seven days)


Entry Requirements:
Participants may enter one hand-shaped, jewelry suitable cabochon, generally consisting of a domed top and flat backside. Cabochon must be made entirely by the member, within the contest month. Please let us know a little about the piece including how you shaped and polished it, and what challenges it presented for you. Please identify the material if you know what it is. If you don't know then just state that and or ask for help identifying it. Cabochon may have a hole drilled but nothing attached to it.


Photo Requirements:
Please post between three to five photos including one front shot of the finished cabochon, a side shot showing the shape and dome, and a photo of the preform slab. The front photo will be cropped to around 200 pixel for the voting photo collage so it's in your favor to make this one as bright, focused and zoomed in as possible. It is helpful if you can include an object (such as a coin or fingers) in one of your photos that gives us a sense of size/scale of the cabochon. If you don't have one of the three required photos, please post what you have and let us know that's all we're getting.

Please no jewelry photos which include the stone after it has been set, wrapped, or had any kind of bail attached. Also, please don't post "glamour" shots that have been clearly manipulated in a photo editor, faded backgrounds, enhanced colors, filters, etc.


Voting Criteria:
Please judge each entry based on the following.
1) How well was the challenge of the contest theme met?
2) How well did the stone meet the contest requirements of a flat back, domed top cabochon?
3) General appearance - keeping in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many materials are difficult to work with and an exceptional creation might not be flashy and bright.

If a tie vote occurs, a new voting poll will be launched for the period of one day and will include only the stones that were tied for the lead.


Community participation:
As always on the forum, polite and respectful dialog and encouragement is very welcome in the form of 'likes' and comments. Advice or direction from the community is welcome only if the contestant has requested it. Members are welcome to enter work-in-progress photos but if the final photos are not added before the conclusion of the contest, the piece can't be included in the voting.

Thank you to everyone who participates by entering and or commenting and encouraging others. We sincerely appreciate all the comments and feedback we get and want to continue to improve the contest as we go so keep 'em coming!