Cutting a diamond

Diamond cutting dates back to the middle ages and thanks to today’s technology such as laser cutters, it is possible to cut a diamond in complex shapes while reducing wastage that was previously unthinkable.

When a diamond cutter is presented with a diamond crystal they have to take into account what shape and size they will cut it, and often this is dictated by the original shape of the crystal itself

But they still need to know how best to use its properties and for this reason a number of different cuts have been developed taking in to account things like facets which modify its shape and appearance.

Fancy cuts

The terms ‘Diamond Cut’ refers to the actual style of design guide which is used when shaping a diamond.  The most popular diamond cut is the round brilliant cut, but fancy cut diamonds are also popular.  Fancy cuts consist of four categories which are rose cuts, mixed cuts, modified brilliants and step cuts.  Fancy cut diamonds are a result of oddly shaped rough crystals.  While round brilliant cut diamonds hold their popularity, fancy cut diamonds are influenced by current fashions.

An example of a Step cut is the well known Baguette diamond which was popular in the art deco period.  An example of a mixed cut is the Princess Cut.  This style cut is popular with diamond cutters as produces less waste than other cuts.  A forerunner to the round brilliance cut is the rose cut diamond which are today becoming antiques.  However, many owners of rose cut diamonds are having them recut into round brilliants cuts to enhance their value.

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