Gemstone Cutting and Styles - Part One

Gemstones are a work of nature designed by God. Their true value is only understood by the cutting, which releases the stone's internal fire, creating a mesmerizing sparkle and making a gem so enticing to the human eye. 

Starting with a rough stone, the cutter will take time to examine the stone and the inclusions within it. He will determine the orientations and make the cuts to exclude bad inclusions or other flaws.   

The next step is preshaping, which is done by hand. The cutter will grind the stone using a polishing wheel into a basic shape of the cut. Next comes faceting, the process of cutting, a skill that takes many years to perfect.

The same angles for cutting are not used for every gemstone. Different gems have different critical angles and different minerals (which make up the gemstone) have other requirements; a cutter must have full knowledge of these conditions. Each facet's angles must be adjusted to provide maximum optical performance. The angels will affect the brilliance and reflection of a gemstone.

The final stage is polishing. The cutter will use a unique polishing tool that is finer than the one used for faceting. Each facet is then polished individually to a high sheen, giving the stone a refined luster.

Cutting rare gemstones can be a risky business. So many things can go wrong. The cutter starts with a simple piece of rough stone that can look like a plain rock. They are faced with the task of transforming it into something exceptional. Each stage is risky. Heat is generated during the process, and often non-visible stress fractures can exist within a stone which can cause the stone to shatter or break.

It takes many years to attain high competence in this art, and highly skilled cutters are revered in the trade. Jaipur, known as the gemstone capital of the world, has the master-cutters. Ninety-eight percent of all gemstones are sent to these master cutters for faceting and refining. So, the next time you look at a beautiful faceted colored Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, or Diamond, take time to appreciate the incredible skill that the cutter has taken to make this stone!

In the following two blogs, we'll take a closer look at some of the most popular gemstone cutting styles and the characteristics that make each one special.

And please, come to our shop to see some of these beautiful stones and fine jewelry pieces. You will be mesmerized!