The petit point technique creates a small cabochon with one end rounded and the opposite end carved and polished to a point. It could be described as looking like a tear drop. The finely crafted cabochon is then placed in a setting, typically sterling silver. Petit point cabochons lend themselves to round designs such as the classic cluster bracelet like the one seen to the right.
The petit point technique found in Zuni jewelry requires finely honed stonework skills. The cabochons are very small and can easily fracture during the honing and polishing process. Each jewelry artist has created their own method of forging these small pieces and once mastered, will typically sit and create hundreds of the polished stones all at once in preparation for creating a finished piece of turquoise jewelry.