Explore All The Different Gemstone Cuts Used Throughout History

The process of polishing and preparing gemstone cuts is called lapidary, while a person who cuts and polishes gems is called a gem cutter or a lapidarist. They are considered artist in the gemstone cuts trade, since their work is intricate a precise.

Gemstone material that has not been extensively cut and polished is referred to generally as rough. Rough material that has been lightly hammered to knock off brittle, fractured material is said to have been cobbed.

All gems stone cuts are polished by progressive abrasion using finer and finer grits of harder substances. Diamond, the hardest naturally occurring substance, has a Mohs hardness of 10 and is used as an abrasive to cut and polish a wide variety of materials, including diamond itself. Silicon carbide, a manmade compound of silicon and carbon with a Mohs hardness of 9.5, is also widely used for cutting softer gemstones. Other compounds, such as cerium oxide, tin oxide, chromium oxide, and aluminum oxide, are frequently used in polishing gemstones.

Sometimes gemstones cuts are made with a circular saw and a thin blade. A jigsaw is used to cut curved lines to avoid wasting precious material.

Facet machines are another way achieve precise gemstone cuts. These machines consist of a grinding plate and a set of protractors that hold the stone in place.

Throughout history lapidarist have created gemstone cuts that enhance the stone radiance. The following are just some examples of gemstone cuts:

• Point Cut - early 1300s: The "Point Cut" is one of the first symmetrically faceted diamond cuts. The Point Cut design is dictated by the natural shape of an octahedral rough diamond.





• Single Cut - late 1300s:Invented in the late 14th century, the " diamond has the addition of corner facets to create an octagonal girdle, an octagonal table, eight bezel or crown facets, and eight pavilion facets.





• Rose & Briolette Cut- 1500s: Invented in the mid 16th century, the Rose Cut is also known by the the Antwerp rose, Crowned Rose Cut, Dutch Cut, and the Full Holland Cut. The Rose cut can form a single hemisphere for a total of 24 facets or it can be two back-to-back hemispheres (Double Dutch Rose) forming a total of 48 facets. The "Senaille Cut" is a Rose cut with irregular or non-symmetrical faceting. The "Briolette Cut" is a modified Double Dutch Rose cut with one of the hemispheres being elongated.





• Old Mine Cut - 1700s: The "old mine" cut is the earliest form of the "brilliant cut" diamond. Also called the "cushion cut", it has a cushioned or rounded girdle shape.





Old European Cut - 1800s:The "Old European" cut was the forerunner of the modern Brilliant Cut. The Old European diamond cut has a very small table, a heavy crown, and very tall overall depth. Like the modern round brilliant, the old European diamond has a circular girdle.




The Modern Round Brilliant Cut - 1900s:The "Modern Round Brilliant Cut" was developed by Belgian diamond-cutter Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. This cut is also known as the "Tolkowsky Cut" and "Tolkowsky Brilliant." Even with modern techniques, the cutting and polishing of a diamonds resulted in a loss of as much as 50% of the stone's total weight. The round brilliant cut was a partial solution to this problem.

This shape has set the standard for all other diamond shapes, and accounts for more than 75% of diamonds sold today. Its 58-facet cut is calibrated through a precise formula to achieve the maximum in fire and brilliance.

• A square or rectangular cut with numerous sparkling facets is a relatively new cut and often finds its way into solitaire engagement rings. It is also commonly used to cut emeralds.The rectangular shape with cut corners is known as a step cut because its concentric broad, flat planes resemble stair steps.


• The Oval is an even, perfectly symmetrical design which elongated shape gives a flattering illusion of length to the hand.


• The Pear is also considered a hybrid cut, combining the best of the oval and the marquise, is shaped most like a sparkling teardrop. It is particularly beautiful for pendants or earrings.


• The cushion-cut is a deep cut with large facets, an open bottom, and rounded corners. The depth of this cut encourages the eye to travel around the inside the stone.


• The Marquise an elongated shape with pointed ends inspired by the fetching smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and commissioned by the Sun King, France's Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match it.


• TheHeartis ultimate symbol of romance is essentially a pear-shaped diamond with a cleft at the top.



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