Hello! I’m looking for a lapidary service to cut some rough into cabochons. I’m located in NYC so someone located here would be great but I’m open to all suggestions in the US! This is not a high volume job, it’s for a commission that I am working on of seven pieces.
Thanks!
Catherine
Check out my facebook page (under my name)
Hans Durstling
Moncton, Canada
Best master cutter and lapidary is Gerson Bispo a master cutter from Brazil in Miami Florida who does top faceting and fantasy faceting, cabbing and also fantasy cabbing and carved cabs and jewelry carvings. He also does heat treating and is a master cutter having overseen facilities in Hong Kong, India, Brazil, and in the USA His prices are very good and quality is the finest. Far cheaper then New York NY cutters
You can reach him in Miami Florida at : 305-417-3245
We also do cutting and manufacturing as well as mining in Peru
Lee Horowitz M.Ed, CAGS, Gemologistminers-cutters-manufacturersPeru Blue Opal Ltdwww.perublueopal.com
Do you have your own rough or are you interested in custom cabs from rough that a lapidary might have on hand? Lapidary should be thought of as as an art form, not a service. I have been studying it for thirty years. I try to combine lapidary with the metal work that I do. Sometimes the lapidary drives the process, sometimes the metal work does. In the end, it is a creative process. If you need standard sized stones for standard sized findings, they can be found very inexpensively from many places. Custom lapidary is another story. It is very time consuming and wasteful to produce. Be prepared to spend some money on it. I would suggest that you collect your own rough and learn to to cut and polish your own cabs from it to your own specifications. As an alternate, start going to rock shows where you can either buy rough and start a relationship with a good cutter or buy custom cabs from someone who can address your special needs. Custom cabs can also be found on line. Lapidary is a lot of fun and a way to grow your jewelry options. Good luck…Rob
As a fellow lapidary and also metal smith, I appreciate your comments Rob. Trying to sell my free form cabs has made me decide to stop hauling cabs to shows. They’re heavy and take up too much display space.
From now on I’m cabbing only for my wife and my work. I will also make exceptions for friends/Jewelers who appreciate good lapidary work.
We’ve found that randomly broken slabs, that have been rotary tumbled until the edges are round then finish polished in vibratory tumblers that are the size suitable for wire wrappers to make pendants, etc, sell much faster. By the bucket full at good shows.
Rick Copeland
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Thank you for your comments! I would definitely love to learn how to do lapidary and have some understanding of the work as my grandfather was a rock hound and metalsmith so I watched him work while growing up. But what I need right now is someone to cut seven cabs out of some Connemara marble rough that I have now to facilitate a job that needs to be done before I could possibly buy the equipment and learn the trade of lapidary. The setting is a custom shape and size so I can’t buy the stones online.
I have gotten a couple of responses from here of places here in NYC that run the business of a lapidary service- where they offer the service to cut stones to the designers specs- so I’m going to go check them out. I respect that art form of course. I am a sculptor by training and profession! I hope to be able to get the equipment and knowledge to do it myself of course.
Thanks!
Catherine
I love doing my own lapidary work and I also buy from others. great joy in
making complete piece mostly in silver and Arg. One word of caution though
to cutters. I have a friend who does beautiful work but cuts the damdest
shapes’ I keep telling him if he had to set these things he wouldn’t put
sharp little corners etc.Being a metalsmith really helps to give
perspective on cutting.Of course the ability to reshape stones can be a
great advantage too.At Quarzite right now then on to Tuscon, Oh the joy!
… Audrita