CABOCHONS AND TONE OF COLOR
Cabochons are enjoyed for their color and shape, and are used primarily to bring out the beauty of translucent materials. Unlike the beauty of the mosaic pattern seen in the more transparent faceted materials, the beauty of the actual color itself is the key to a cabochon’s quality. Though only about ten percent of modern jewelry incorporates cabochon-cut gemstones, at one time the majority of gemstones were cabochons. The main reasons for this were insufficient quantities of highly transparent gemstones and the limitations of faceting technology at the time.
To the right is a chart with ruby, emerald, and aquamarine cabochons, each showing different levels of tone. The tone 2 emerald and tone 1 aquamarine are accessory quality, while the other stones are the jewelry-quality cabochons that are encountered most often. Keep in mind that oil treatment is fairly common in cabochons of this quality level. |
|
 |
| The three quality zones as shown on the quality scale. |
|
 |
 |
|
|
