The Cut of a Diamond
The history of diamond cuts can be traced back to the middle Ages, before which diamonds were left in their natural octahedral state.
The first developments were the polishing of the diamond octahedral crystal faces, which was known as the point-cut which could be found in rings from the mid 14th Century. By the mid 15th Century a little less than one half of the top half of the point cut was sawn off to create the table-cut, while the addition of four corner facets created the old single cut.
The principal problem with these early cuts was that they did not reveal the stone’s strong dispersion of fire (the prism effect, splitting white light into its constituent colours), instead, they accentuated the diamond adamantine lustre (the super transparent or translucent surface). As such diamonds of the period would appear black to the eye, and are frequently depicted as black in paintings of the period.
By around 1476 Lodewyk van Berquem, a Flemish polisher in Bruges cut stones in the shape known as pendeloque or briolette, which were essentially pear-shaped stones with triangular facets on both sides. Later, during the middle of the 16th Century, the rose or rosette was introduced in Antwerp, consisting of a dome covered in radiating triangular facets with the bottom of the stone left flat.
The first brilliant-cut stones where introduced in the middle of the 17th Century and known as Mazarins, which were more square than round in shape. Today, we refer to these stones as cushion-shaped or old-mine cuts. Vincent Peruzzi, a Venetian polisher was to later increase the number of crown facets from 17 to 33 which significantly increased the fire and brilliance of the Mazarins. The cushion was to later develop into the old European cut which had a more rounded shape and a different arrangement of facets which was the forerunner of the modern brilliant.
With the development of diamond saws and better jewellery lathes, the 1900s was to see the development of the round brilliant-cut as we know it today. This cut consists of 58 facets - 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. Developed by the Belgian diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, this cut is also known as the Tolkowsky cut. However, even with modern techniques, the cutting and polishing of the rough still resulted in the loss of as much as 50% of the stone’s weight.
These days, the choice of diamond cut is dictated by the shape of the rough, the location of internal flaws and the commercial need to preserve maximum weight. The most popular cut is still the brilliant, as the natural diamond octahedral crystal can yield two brilliant-cut stones. There are innumerable other cuts that are also used, such as the step-cut, which was especially popular during the 1930s, however in the immortal words of Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 classic ‘Gentlemen prefer Blondes’, “…square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don’t lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”.
Diamonds are a safe bet to invest in, and the highly qualified Borro valuation team will provide top dollar loan estimates, online, against your diamond jewellery - whatever the cut. Borro frequently advances asset loans within 48 hours of application. So, if you need cash fast, it’s easy at Borro.com.
DID YOU KNOW…?
The ‘4 C’s’ which most diamonds are graded by today was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A), who provide certificates of authenticity for all their diamonds…
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