Cabochon cut gemstones an alternative to faceted gems

If you love the idea of wearing a Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby or another vividly coloured gemstone but are not a 'sparkly' kind of person, then a cabochon cut stone could be just what you are looking for! The raw material is the same so these are the same gemstones you could see sparkling away on a more conventional ring. The difference is that after these stones are mined they are polished with a domed top instead of lots of individual facets. The end result is amazing.

Sometimes the needle-like inclusions in cabochon cut gems result in 'star's like the blue & purple Star Sapphires below:

In other instances similar needle-like inclusions create a 'cat's eye' effect which, like the stars, shimmers when moved:

All of the above rings were made at RING jewellers local, Brighton workshops.