I used to do a lot of casting for folks and they would have the cabochon fitted to the wax. They were always surprised when the cab was too big for the final casting, metal shrinks a bit in the process and thus the cab didn't fit any more. They would be left with one of two choices, grind away metal or grind away stone, depending on the equipment they owned they would then choose an option. Lapidary equipment in the shop it's easier to regrind the stone, only metal working equipment on hand, preferably a flexshaft, then use that.

I'd go with  varistie too, a friend just gave me a cab made from that stuff, sure looks nice. Have fun with it.

Nice looking cabochons and thanks for the tutorial on groove cutting.

Very nice, I like that a lot

That is a nice cab. If I could just  get my stuff together and dig out my LSA I bet someday I could make one of those too. They sure are pretty stones.

My small area of lapidary is so stacked I can't even see my meager pieces of equipment. I did go to Tucson and visit a friend of mine on Monday and he lives in Green Valley where he has access to a whole lapidary club, nice, he now only has what he can carry in a tackle box. We went to the rock and gem show out by the University Hospital, my back hurt so bad walking around I could only do about 10 booths but did manage to buy some Afghanistan lapis and then some small slabs for $1 each, then went into this huge tent to Kent's Tools and bought some much needed silver working tools. Laid in the back of my Honda Pilot for a half hour and then drove back to Cave Creek, It was nice to visit with my friend, he goes to a different rock show every day, must be nice.

"OK!!! THIS is what I want to know! HOW do you polish your tools to a mirror finish:)? Exact steps please:)." This question was from October last year and here is my take on how I put a mirror polish on a hammer face.
I usually start off determining if it needs file work or grinder work, some just don't need the drastic touch of a grinder and some are too hard for a file. I clean all the rust off with a wire wheel mounted on a 4" angle grinder, wear eye protection, gloves, ear protection and if possible a leather apron, wheel will shed wires at high velocity. Now you can start grinding on the face if it is badly pitted or badly dinged up. Keep it cool, don't let it get hot enough to change colors from white to blue or brown, that's a no, no. I use a 120 for this, yes, I know some that would use and 80 grit wheel for this but it gets it too hot too fast and the scratches are very deep and with the 120 you will not have as much work to clean up if the whole face is not all that bad. From here on out it is just going on down in grits. Wheels for the angle grinder don't go down all that far so you will need to switch to hand sanding. I usually go down to 1200 before I put the face of the hammer to the polishing wheel where I finish it  off with nice mirror like finish with a muslin wheel. Then it is just a matter of keeping the rust from forming during the humid months here in Phoenix in the summer.
I use the same basic techniques for my silversmithing stakes and for my 125 pound anvil. However if I had it to do over on the anvil I would take it to a machine shop and have the surface ground down. While this statement will cause much gnashing of teeth amongst some hard core blacksmiths if done properly it can be wonderful for jewelers and do minimal harm to the anvil. First turn the anvil on it face, that's right face down for a rough grind on the base, next turn it face side up. The reason for this is so that the "hard face" and the base will be parallel. Since old anvils have a wrought iron forged body and a tool steel face that are forge welded together the base and the face are not always anywhere near parallel and you don't want to remove the face, which is where are the work is done, down to the soft wrought iron base(core). So if you do the base first you'll be OK but if you do the working face first you can thin the working face to almost nothing on one end or side, this you don't want to do. The reason some blacksmiths object to grinding the face is that it is taking away working years off the the anvil that could be used in hammering it away. 

Welcome from Cave Creek, AZ, USA

Are you sure those are silver spacer beads in there, look more like brass.

See here I would advise a beginner to stay away from copper as it is a little more difficult to solder than either sterling or fine silver. One thing that I have found over my years of making jewelry is to put something like iron wire under the larger pieces of silver to elevate them off of the surface of soldering pad, this allows the heat to surround the work. If the work is laying flat on the soldering pad things tend not to go as planed. I frequently use a solder pick to pick up my pallions of solder and place them where they need to be after the flux has quit all of it furious bubbling and boiling, then they are not jumping all over the place. The more you do of the soldering the better you get, it is just a matter of practice really, I melted a lot of stuff in the beginning too.

Nice hearts all ready Christmas, I'm sure they will be much liked by the recipients .

Beautiful cabs, nice work with the bamboo

Some of those are as pretty as polished mud and others just blow the eyeballs right out of your head. 
I have a question for the opal experts, is there a way to pick the eyeball poppers rather than the polished mud? Just wondering.

welcome from Cave Creek and that is some wonderful looking work and amazing stone.

Those angular areas on the curve are interesting, very nice cab as usual.