Why is the shape of a diamond called a cut?
When he examines the rough stone, the cutter decides what shape the original diamond will be. He takes into consideration the shape of the rough, its size, any inclusions and how much weight will be lost in the cutting. The most popular shape of the engagement diamond is the round brilliant cut. This is usually cut from an eight sided-crystal. The marquise, oval, pear, emerald and heart-shaped diamonds are known as fancy cuts. These are all fashioned from different shapes of rough diamonds that do not tend themselves to the round brilliant cut. The cuts illustrated opposite have 58 facets (except the heart-shaped cut). The shapes of the facets differ in each of the cuts, and it is these tiny polished planes on the surface of each diamond that account for its brilliance and fire. The precision and delicacy exercised by the craftsman, who cuts the stone, determines the quality of the cut, the extent of the brilliance and the mystery of the diamond’s “fire”.
