What is a Cabochon?

This is a question that comes up from time to time when I’m jewelry shopping with clients. For many, “cabochon” is a jewelry vocabulary word which may not be part of your daily vernacular. Pronounced “kab-uh-shawn,” it refers to a rounded, highly polished cut of stone with no faceting. Typically, this cut is an oval shape (though you’ll find it in other shapes as well) with a flat bottom. Alexis Kletjian recently posted this stunning photo of a group of phrenite cabochons. Beautiful, right?

phrenite cabochons via alexis kletjian
The word cabochon comes from the French word “caboche” which translates to “small dome.” Opaque gems such as turquoise, opal, moonstone, and onyx are most commonly found in this cut, as opposed to transparent gems, which are typically faceted. Personally, I adore cabochon gems — they elicit a very mystical vision in my mind.

So that you can get a clear handle on what cabochon jewelry looks like, I thought I’d share a few lovely examples.

Gabriella Kiss aquamarine ring

gabriella kiss aquamarine cabochon ring
Sundance rainbow moonstone ring

sundance rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth turquoise cabochon band

irene neuwirth cabochon turuoise band
Jamie Joseph triple oval grey star sapphire and diamond ring

jamie joseph triple oval grey star sapphire ring with diamond
Nava Zahavi blue kyanite ring

nava zahavi blue kyanite cabochon ring
Tamara Comolli bouton rainbow moonstone ring

tamara comolli bouton rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth tanzanite cabochon bracelet

irene neuwirth cabochon tanzanite bracelet in rose gold
Do you have any jewelry with cabochon gems in your jewelry box? Does this cut appeal to your sense of personal style? Please let me know in the comment section below — I’d love to hear from you.

June Birthstone: Moonstone

You June babies are lucky ducks, as you have three birthstones. One is Alexandrite. While it truly is a gorgeous stone, it’s extremely rare, so it’d be tough to find many options for you to buy. Then there’s the pearl, which many associate as the “main” birthstone for the month. Personally, I’m partial to the third option, moonstone. You may remember back in January I wrote an article about how my body physically craves certain gems, and moonstone is most definitely one of them. In fact, here’s my Steven Battelle rainbow moonstone ring I wrote about; I could not leave the store without buying it — it was truly a visceral reaction when I spotted it in the case. Has this ever happened to you?

steven battelle rainbow moonstone ring
Moonstones have been used in jewlery for over 2000 years. They are considered a sacred stone in India, and the most prized specimens come from Sri Lanka. The glow that emanates from within is reminiscent of the moon’s glow, hence the name. It comes in a variety of colors, from blue to peach to grey and more. Moonstone is the stone of emotional balance and is associated with goddess energy. It is a stone of protection (especially to travelers), love, passion, and it promotes psychic abilities and intuition. I think it’s a downright breathtaking gem.

I may have gone a little overboard with my virtual shopping spree today, but I just couldn’t help myself. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order…

Jamie Joseph leather bracelet with moonstone

jamie joseph leather cord bracelet with rainbow moonstone
Irene Neuwirth moonstone drop earrings

irene neuwirth moonstone drop earrings
Loriann Stevenson 18K and moonstone bracelet

loriann stevenson 18K and moonstone bracelet
Phyne by Paige Novick moonstone and diamond stud earring (sold individually, which is cool)

phyne by paige novick moonstone and diamond trillion stud earrings
Pippa Small rainbow moonstone ring

pippa small rainbow moonstone ring
For Future Refernce x Ylang23 cabochon moonstone gypsy ring

for future reference cabochon moonstone gypsy ring
Nak Armstrong rainbow moonstone mosaic bangle

nak armstrong rainbow moonstone mosaic bangle bracelet
Ila moonstone and turquoise pendant necklace

ila moonstone and turquoise pendant necklace
Gabriella Kiss 18K and oval grey moonstone ring

gabriella kiss 18K and oval grey moonstone ring
Judy Geib excessive ceylon moonstone earrings

judy geib excessive ceylon moonstone earrings
Stephen Dweck London topaz and moonstone ring

stephen dweck london blue topaz and rainbow moonstone shield ring
Arik Kastan moonstone stacking ring

arik kastan moonstone stacking ring
Andrea Fohrman moonstone and hematite ring with crescent moon

andrea fohrman moonstone and hematite ring with crescent moon
Nak Armstrong rainbow moonstone button studs

nak armstrong rainbow moonstone button studs
So now do you see how I’m so completely drawn to this iridescent stone? Oy…where is my bottomless wallet when I need it?! And if you are celebrating a birthday this month, wishing you all the best! (And be sure go to buy yourself a sparkly treat.)

Orange is The New Bling

I’ve been inundated with the color orange as of late, between Halloween, the San Francisco Giant’s being in the World Series, the leaves changing outside my window…pretty much everywhere except in my jewelry box. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I rarely see jewelry with orange stones. Why is that? Is it a color many don’t prefer? Perhaps it’s because there aren’t as many varieties of stones with an orange hue? (In fact, how many can you name?) I’m really not quite sure.

At any rate, I took myself on another of my infamous virtual shopping sprees with no budget (like the one I took with green stones this past March). Before I knew it, hours (yes, hours!) had slipped by, but I had found some stunning pieces in so many different shades of orange. Here are my fave finds, in no particular order. Enjoy!

Earrings

Orange coral was one of the first things that jumped into my mind when I thought about orange jewelry, and this pair of earrings by Annette Ferdinandsen are just beautiful.

annette ferninandsen coral earrings
Ray Griffiths designed these with a lovely orange harmony in carnelian and amber.

ray griffiths earrings
Sethi Couture also has a lovely ombre effect in these diamond linear drop earrings.

sethi couture ombre multi-color linear drop earrings
Geodes are always a favorite of mine, and Kimberly McDonald used a stunning pair in these earrings.

kimberly mcdonald geode and diamond earrings
Mary Esses designed a party for your ears in gold, diamonds, and carnelian.

mary esses earrings
For a style with more angular lines, then these by Kothari are pretty amazing. It reminds me of photos I’ve seen of the sun’s surface!

kothari elements drusy quartz earrings
Necklaces

The traditional cameo was another image that popped into my head as I thought about jewelry with an orange hue. Amedeo takes the cameo to a whole new, modern level, as shown in this “see no evil” pendant.

amedeo see no evil cameo pendant
Jes MaHarry created an uber-cool necklace, with a wheel of coral, gold, diamonds, and a silver chain. its’ a very chic bohemian look, which I would layer with other necklaces in a heartbeat.

jes MaHarry necklace
This orange crystal and diamond necklace by Jacquie Aiche would be another great layering piece.

jacquie aiche twin orange crystal necklace
For more of an orange punch, then I’d go for this druzy agate pendant by Peppina.

peppina teardrop orange druzy agate pendant
Bracelets

Vaubel is a master with color in his designs, as demonstrated in this chunky bracelet.

steven vaubel bracelet
Nak Armstrong is another designer with impeccable use of color, this time with mandarin garnets.

nak armstrong mandarin garnet bangle
For a skinny layering piece, this orange garnet bead bracelet by Joseph Brooks makes me smile.

joseph brooks orange garnet bead bracelet
And let’s not forget adding the color orange in the form of a watch. I’d never say no to one by Hermes!

hermes heure h watch
Rings

Jane Bohan designed a substantial ring with citrine and diamonds.

jane bohan citrine and diamond ring
Mandrel Studio’s orange rustic diamond ring is so luxurious!

mandrel studio orange rustic diamond ring
I like the idea of adding a skinny stack ring with a pop of color, and Yossi Harari’s orange sapphire band would certainly fit the bill!

yossi harari orange sapphire ring
This Mexican fire opal and diamond ring by Jamie Joseph has intense complexity of color.

jamie joseph mexican fire opal ring with diamonds
Pomellato has a very sleek, modern design, also with a fire opal, complemented by rose gold.

pomellato fire opal ring
And last, but certainly not least, this intricate coral ring by the talented Cathy Waterman.

cathy waterman coral ring
Do you have any pieces to add to this list? Do you wear orange often? I’d love to hear all your opinions on the matter.