.jpg) | Diamond Cut
A raw diamond, when it is mined, looks nothing like the glittering piece of jewelry that the customer receives. Most people, where they to see a raw diamond, would find it difficult to believe that this piece of lifeless stone could be made into something so beautiful.
Turning a diamond into a thing of beauty is a process involving many stages, all of which demand expertise and knowledge of the highest caliber. One of the most important is when the raw stone is physically cut to give the diamond its distinctive shape.
The diamond cutter is an artist, he gets the raw material and has to decide what parts of the material to discard in order to fashion a work of art that is breathtaking to the beholder. He decides the diamonds final shape and size and his work is critical.
When we talk about a diamonds “cut” we are not referring only to its shape or size. The “cut” of a diamond, the number of facets, their angles, the stones final proportions when put together determine the final quality of your diamond. An expertly cut stone will appear alive and sparkling to the eye of the viewer. A badly cut stone will seem lifeless, darker and unappealing. This process of shaping a diamond can only be done by hand as it depends on the skill, experience and “heart” of the cutter. This also means that each and every diamond is unique, having characteristics that no other diamond has. This uniqueness adds to a diamonds appeal and often to its value. In later articles we will discuss some of these unique characteristics.
The Anatomy of your diamond.When you come to purchase your diamond, you may be confused by some of the terminology that the jeweler uses
especially when he explains the diamond shape and size. To help you out,
here are a few basic definitions:
Diameter
this is the width of the final, cut and polished diamond at its widest point.
Table
this is the largest polished surface (facet) of the stone and is always the top facet – just like a table top.
Crown
your diamond has two halves, top and bottom. The crown is the top part of the stone measured from the table to the widest part of the diamond (girdle)
Pavilion
the bottom half of your diamond, measured from the girdle to the bottom point of the stone (culet).
Girdle
This is the widest point of your diamond and the point where the two halves (crown and pavilion) meet.
Depth
the size of your diamond measured from the top (table) to the bottom (culet).
Culet
a tiny facet often cut at the base of the stone where all the facets meet.
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