How these gemstone treasures are crafted: It all starts with finding grade AAA raw gemstone material from sources around the world. For example, the Turkish agates are shipped straight out of Turkey. The specimens are truly amazing in their raw form.

The specimen is cut into slabs and then the most intriguing pattern are cut out of the slabs to form the initial cabochon. The shape of the cabochon is dictated by the pattern I want to capture from the slab.

Once the rough cabochon is created, I start the shaping and polishing stages which consists of 7 meticulous stages. Which typically takes well over one hour depending on the material. This is one of the coolest parts of the process, watching the gemstone come to life. When working with labradorite for example, you start to see the translucent properties start to appear as you work through the stages.

Once the cabochon is finished, I really enjoy observing how the gemstone changes in different lighting conditions. With some gemstones, like Turkish blue agates, the changes are profound and truly amazing. So not only is the specimen truly unique and one of a kind, but the way it changes in different lighting conditions is endless. Truly dynamic and living matter.

The next stage consists of being able to place the cabochon in a setting without disturbing its dynamic nature with respect to how it interacts with different light sources. Here I stick to one principle: It’s all about bringing out the beauty of the gemstone. Everything else is secondary.

Recently I have started using claw type jewelry settings rather than open bezel pendants because it is the most minimalistic. But again, it depends on the gemstone. The idea is to make the setting almost invisible as to not to detract from the gemstone.

Welcome to my website and I hope you enjoy it. I am a photographer and really enjoy integrating some of the photographs I have taken over the years with the cabochon and jewelry photographs . I hope you enjoy the images as well. Everything you see on this website is inspired and driven by my passions. Thank you for the opportunity to share it.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cocoariel

COCO & ARIEL