The Art of the Cabochon

This is an online seat for a live workshop experience!

This workshop is being held live in our Texas studio on March 8 & 9, 2025.

This registration will give you immediate access to detailed course information and exclusive vendor discounts. You will also be given access to our hosted and monitored Zoom classroom live during the workshop PLUS 30 days of access to the recordings of all demos.

Looking for the in-person registration? Visit this link!

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop requires specialized equipment! 

Below is a list of the specialized tools and materials you'll need for this workshop. Please note that while The Makery uses the JoolTool extensively in our studio, this workshop will not address using the JoolTool for lapidary work. If you are in the market for a lapidary setup, John is a Diamond Pacific dealer and can help you make appropriate equipment selections. Please reach out to him through his Facebook page here.

• Diamond Pacific Pixie, Genie, Titan or equivalent multi-wheel lapidary rig. The ideal wheel setup will be metal bond wheels in 80 and 220 grit, and Nova wheels in grits 280, 600, 1200 and 3000.
• 6” trim saw with blade
• Dop pot to heat wax. Like this one from Diamond Pacific or Rio Grande. (If you order from Diamond Pacific, tell them you're taking a class with John and ask them to expedite shipping.)
• Dop Sticks and Wax. Get the green dop wax from Rio Grand here and ROUND chopsticks for dops (like these on Amazon). 3 sets normally are all that are needed. (Crazy glue and a nail may or may not be used but John will show alternative methods to dopping a stone.)
• Gemstone templates. John sells a 12 piece set with over 36 different designs in various sizes (his Slabs to Cabs assortment) but at a minimum you will need a round 1” size template available from any office supply or online source. More shapes will give you an opportunity to try different things.
• Slabs for making cabochons. A variety will give you a chance to learn about working with different materials. We will begin with hard material such as a jasper or agate and move on to softer material such as rhyolite or Sonoran Dendritic Rhyolite. (If you need slabs or preforms, contact John through his Facebook page.)