Home >> Science & Nature >> Rocks & Minerals

How to Fill Pits in Cabochons

Gemstones in jewelry are meant to be flawless, but they don't start out that way. Lapidaries (who cut and polish stones and gemstones) and those who make jewelry have different methods for obtaining the glossy, pristine look of their cabochons. The most common method uses adhesives such as resin or super-glue before the final sanding and polish. Any smooth cabochon can become a work of art once its pits and external faults have been treated.

Things You'll Need

Adhesive glue or resin
Lamp
Disposable dish
Hardener
600-grit sandpaper
Small tongs

Instructions

- 1
  Create a small disposable dish out of aluminum foil or the bottom of a plastic bottle. Place the cabochon into the dish where it will be covered by the compound.
- 2
  Pour Opticon or other thin compound into the dish until the cabochon is covered. Place the dish on top of a floor lamp for 4 to 5 hours so the resin will get entirely into the pits and crevices of the cabochon.
- 3
  Lift out the cabochon with gloved hands, or set of tongs, after soaking to prevent burns or scalds. Hold the cabochon over the dish until dripping stops, and leave it either in your grip or the tongs.
- 4
  Pour out most of the Opticon resin back into the original container. Mix the hardener in with the remains of the compound in the dish after pouring. Coat the cabochon with this mixture and set it back into the dish with the hardener mixture inside. Replace the dish on the lamp for 2 to 3 hours.
- 5
  Set the cabochon aside to dry and finish hardening for at least 24 hours. Remove the cabochon from the dish and sand away the remaining plastic with 600 grit paper. Polish as usual.

Rocks & Minerals