A well-cut stone helps to hide imperfections and bring out its true colour and brilliance. Broadly, there are two styles of gem cutting – faceted and non-faceted, or cabochon. While faceted gemstones have geometric shapes and flat polished surfaces, cabochons have rounded surfaces.
Today, fancy cuts such as flowers, leaves and stars can also be seen in coloured stones. It is the artistry of the gem cutter (lapidary) that makes each coloured gemstone a piece of art.
Here are some of the most common cuts used in gemstones:
- Cabochon Cut : The cabochon, also known as a cab, is the oldest form of shaped and polished gemstone dating back to the 13th or 14th century. The name, derived from the Norman French word “caboche”, meaning head, describes the stone as having a flat bottom with a convex or rounded domed top. The cut helps to display characteristics like asterism (the star effect) in star sapphires and rubies. While the traditional cabochon was oval, today cabochons are available in rounds, triangles, and rectangles.
- Buff-Top: This cut is a mix of a cabochon and a faceted gem. The top has a cab dome while the bottom contains facets on the pavilion below the girdle. These strategically placed facets allow light to reflect from the pavilion, giving the gemstone an illusion of depth. Blufftops are often found in men’s jewellery.
- Round Brilliant-Cut: The round brilliant-cut gemstone, also known as the Round Cut, American Ideal Cut or American Standard Cut has 57 facets. It was perfected by mathematical genius Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, calculated with variables such as the index of refraction and covalent bond angles. Today, the best diamond solitaires in the world use this cut. Tolkowsky’s recommended cut height for a Round Brilliant is 58% of the diameter of the diamond, 43% for the pavilion, and 14% for the height of the crown. This ratio provides maximum fire, brilliance and sparkle.
- Baguette Cut: Long, oblong and rectangular-shaped Baguette cut gemstones first appeared during the 1920s-30s art deco movement. Crafted in step cuts the 14 facets resemble a pyramid without a top. It has clean lines and a modern, geometric look.
- Cushion Cut: This classic Cushion cut has 64 facets. Also known as the Pillow cut, Old Miner cut, or Old European cut, the Cushion cut was popular in jewellery of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like a Princess cut, this cut also reduces the wastage of the rough gem while maintaining its lustre and brilliance.
- Millennium Cut: The Millennium cut was created by Rogerio Graca in 1999 to symbolize the new millennium. This cut has an incredible 1,000 facets, requires high precision machinery and takes 18 times the amount of work of other cuts. Due to these factors, it is only available in limited numbers.
What’s your favorite gemstone cut and why do you find it so captivating? Share your sparkling opinions!
Text rights: ( Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery, 2024)
Source: 15 Different Cuts and Shapes of Coloured Gemstones—Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery. (2024, June 6). https://iigj.org/2024/06/06/15-different-cuts-and-shapes-of-coloured-gemstones/
