Bench Tips
Rock&Gem Magazine|October 2017

Working Cabs from the Back, Part II

Bob Rush
Bench Tips

In Part I of this column, I described making a cabochon in which I carved circular depressions into the back. I used milky chalcedony because I was fascinated with the inner glow the chalcedony radiates when it is made into a cab. It also has enough translucence for the carving on the back to show through when the cab is viewed from the front.

I decided to do another cab that included, even more circular features and a more complex pattern. is time, I would use milky chalcedony that had a scenic pattern. e results were strikingly better. Even though milky chalcedony definitely stands alone in its beauty, the absence of any pattern in the material could limit the overall visual possibilities when work on the back is being considered.

This story is from the October 2017 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.

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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.

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