Gemstone Cuts

There are several innovative cutting techniques used by gemstone cutters, called lapidaries, to enhance the brilliance of rough stones transforming them into beautiful, dazzling, awe inspiring pieces of jewelry.

The color and weight of the stone is important, but it is the cut of the gemstone that makes it what it is.

• The plain cut is generally used when cutting an opaque stone that has no cleavage and is cut level, or arched as a cabochon or sphere.
• The faceted cut is used on transparent stones using a step by step process of cutting unique to the cleavage or the facets of the stone.
• Mixed cut combines the plain cut and the faceted cut, the top of the stone being either flat or smooth and the bottom part having cleavage or facets, or vice versa.

The names of the different cuts include:

Brilliant, double brilliant, needle brilliant, star brilliant, half brilliant, and highlight brilliant.

Antique, triangle, square, star, octagon, pentagon, oval, drop, ceylon, briolette, Swiss, rhomb, coat-of-arms, petal, heart, net, and trapezoid.

Round, hexagon, ball, french, double rose, free form, recoupe rose, jubilee, pear, American, baguette, navette and bud.

Olive, magna, emerald, scissor, mixed, cabochon, double cabochon, sphere, step, eight, and shield.

Each type of cut is based on the optical impression of the gemstone, yet there is no definitive rule that can be applied to the various cuts.

How a gemstone is cut is determined by the structural makeup and how the lapidary interprets what he see's in the structure and in the light refraction of the stone.

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