Welcome to Billy Bob's Rock Shop!

Home of fine hand cut designer cabochons shaped from high quality, unique material.

If you’re sick of picking the standard cabochons out of a Rio catalog and would rather deal with a local lapidary than a cutting shop in China, then this is place for you.

So, what’s the difference between my cabochons and those from large cutting shops?

I cut unique cabochons out of interesting, quality material. I cut one cabochon at a time paying attention to detail and only using the most appealing aspects of the rough slabs. Unlike a cutting shop, I don’t care how may cabochons I finish in an afternoon or how many I get out of a slab. I don’t get paid by finished weight.

The majority of cabochons I cut go through eight diamond grits before they hit the polishing wheel. I firmly believe you should know what your getting before it arrives. To that end I provide descriptions detailing any flaws, if there are any, and at least four pictures at different angels.

Why is it a “designer cabochon?”

To be honest I really have no idea. Likely some lapidary used it as a sales pitch and it stuck. Originally the term was used to describe cabochons with non-standard shapes or, freeform cabochons. Now almost every stone out there is a “designer cabochon” even calibrated stones made to fit in pre-made bezels and findings are called designer cabochons.

For what its worth I feel comfortable calling all my stones designer cabochons because I actually chose a shape that I feel makes the most visually pleasing use of the rough. If that means I cut a oval, square, or round cabochon, so be it. If that means I don't use a piece of rough because it's boring, so be it. Once I have a basic shape I cut free hand, never again checking the stone against a template. As a result my cabochons rarely fit into pre-made findings. Also when designing a cabochon I give a great deal of thought to the stones thickness or height. These considerations make each stone you will find here unique.

Please check out my site. On each page you will find pictures of designer cabochons that I have cut, photographed, and sold.

If you like what you see please visit my Designer Cabochons page.

If you don’t find what you are looking for feel free to contact me. I am happy to do custom orders or point you in the direction of lapidary who may have something that catches your eye.

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Home of fine hand cut designer cabochons shaped from high quality, unique material.

So, what’s the difference between my cabochons and those from large cutting shops?

Why is it a “designer cabochon?”

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