About Tumble Polished Cabochons

Tumble polished vs. wheel finished, what's the difference? We offer cabs cut both ways, however, we thought an explanation would be in order. In the case of tumble polished, a cab is hand shaped & domed on the conventional manner. At this point, it is placed in a vibrating tumbler to complete the sanding & polishing process. This results in a cab with a less distinct & somewhat rounded girdle line which is the point where the bezel cut meets the dome. For wirewrappers or prong setters, this could be an esthetic advantage because of a smoother transition between the dome & the base of the stone. In the case of a bezel setter, a tumble polished stone is easy to set although it might require a little more finesse than a wheel cut cab with a crisp girdle line of even height. So, to each their own, although tumble polished stones may work well for you at a definitely lower cost.