Gemstone Slabs

Rough rock or raw rocks can be found in many sizes. Rough rock refers to unpolished rock. Though most rough precious gemstone materials come from thin veins or crystals and can be quite small, most rough semi precious gemstones are found in large pieces. It is often broken up as it is brought out of the ground, but can still be in large chunks. People who handle these large chunks of rough rock have very large saws in order to cut the rock up into more manageable pieces. The raw stone is cut into cubes for decorative carvings or into rough slabs for polishing or cabochon cutting. A "cabochon" is described as a gemstone that is not faceted, but is cut into a convex and usually highly polished shape.

Many lapidary artist who cut cabochons (known as cabbers) prefer to start with gemstone slabs. A gemstone slab is rough rock that has been sliced into slabs that are about 1/4 inch in thickness. Sometimes the rough slabs are cut thicker so they can be butterflied and cut into matched pairs for earrings. Cabbers like stone slabs because: one they don't have to own huge saws to handle the large chunks of rough rock; and they can actually see what they are getting in their cabbing rough. It is much easier to see the pattern and colors of the rough stone. Often times there is no way to know what cabbing rough or cutting rough will look like when polished, until it is slabbed or cut up.

Cabbers then cut the gemstone slabs into smaller cubes. Sometimes they will cut the heart out of the gemstone slab to get the best pattern or one really fantastic cabochon. If they are more commercial cutters, they will try to get as many cabs as they can from the stone slab. They often use templates to draw shapes onto the gemstone slab, to use as a guideline of what they are cutting. Most cabbing rough is sold wet, as that closely resembles what the rock will look like when it is polished. Some cabbing rough will take a high gloss finish, others may only have a smooth look to them.

Click here to see the large selection of cabbing rough and gemstone slabs that we have here at OakRocks!
We at OakRocks carry a large variety of gemstone slabs and rough rock from around the world. Most of what you see in our store we have available in quantity.

If you are just starting out learning how to cut rough rock, start with the easiest and cheapest materials. It is best to start with gemstone slabs as much of the work is done for you. There is a wide variety of semi precious stone slabs available. Agate slabs and Jasper slabs are plentiful and come in a diverse variety of colors and patterns. Though considered "hard" stones-they don't cut too quickly and a beginner can take their time to finish it and avoid mistakes. Some materials are difficult to cut and/or polish and should be left to the more experienced cutters

A beautiful polished gemstone slab is a lovely gemstone gift and a great addition to any home decor!