The Gem Cuts Guide

A beautiful gemstone is a lasting joy, reflecting a rich history that connects to humanity itself. The journey from mining a gemstone to wearing it involves a lot of skill and craftsmanship.

Gemstones come from the Earth and the sea, but they usually need to be refined to look their best. This process of cutting, shaping, and polishing is called “Lapidary,” and the artists who do this are known as Lapidarists.

What Does Lapidary Do?

Lapidary’s main goal is to enhance the beauty of a gem. Skilled Lapidarists know how to cut and shape rough stones to make them shine. They focus on two things:

1. Highlighting the gem’s natural beauty.
2. Reducing any flaws in the stone.

The way they cut the gemstone helps even out its color, remove any inclusions, and maximize its brilliance. While perfection isn’t always possible, the quality of the cut shows the Lapidarist’s skill. Each gem has unique features, such as size and hardness, which influence how it can be cut.

Common Gem Cut Styles

1. Brilliant Cut: This cut is designed to make a gem sparkle as much as possible. It has triangular or kite-shaped flat surfaces, which reflect light beautifully. The round brilliant cut is especially popular.
2. Step Cut: Characterized by straight facets that run parallel to the gem’s edges, this cut gives a softer shine and shows off the gem’s true color. It usually has a rectangular shape, but can also be oval.
3. Mixed Cut: This combines the brilliant cut and step cut, allowing for both sparkle and color in the gem.
4. Baguette Cut: A rectangular gem with sharp edges, favored by celebrities for elegant jewelry.
5. Emerald Cut: Named after emeralds, this rectangular cut has clipped corners, giving it eight edges when viewed from above.
6. Asscher Cut: Similar to the emerald cut, but square in shape with clipped corners, creating a unique mirror-like effect.
7. Princess Cut: A square cut that combines the brilliance of the brilliant cut, offering great sparkle while maximizing the use of the raw gem.
8. Ceylon Cut: A mixed cut that combines brilliant cutting on the top with step cutting below, enhancing the gem’s color.
9. Cabochon Cut: This cut features a smooth, rounded top without facets, used for stones with special effects or those that are opaque.

Which Cut is Best?

Each cut serves a specific purpose and showcases different features of the gemstone. There isn’t a single “best” cut; it depends on the gem’s properties and what look you want to achieve. For instance, a brilliant cut enhances sparkle, while other cuts may highlight color.