Best Cut Styles For Your Gemstone

Cabochon Cut
Cabochons is the earliest form of gem cutting forms. Cobochon cut gemstone usually have a flat base and a round, curved, convex dome like top which can be oval, coushion or round in shape. The stones that are cut in cobochon cut are Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Coral, Star Sapphire, Moonstone and Opal. The cabochon cut does not give much brilliance as compared to other cuts.

Brilliant Cut
The brilliant-cut is the most popular for diamonds, and for many other stones, particularly colourless ones. The brilliant cut gives the most complete return of light out through the front ensuring brilliance and fire. Round cut is the most common shape in brilliant cut. Other shapes include oval brilliant cut (43 to 57 facets), pear shaped pendeloque (58 facet) and the boat shaped marquise or navette (58 facet).

Step cuts
A step cut is obtainedby cutting a stone with several series of rectangular facets one above the other parallel to the edges in the manner of a pyramid with its top chopped off. The base and table are square with triangular facets. Fine step cut stones can be very brilliant. Emerald, Quartz Tourmalite and Amethysts are a few gems that are commonly cut in Step cuts. The Emerald cut (50 facets) is an example of Step cut and has rows of facets that resemble a staircase and usually are four-sided.

Mixed cuts
Mixed cuts consists of a brilliant cut top and a step cut back. Sapphires, Rubies and other transparent colored stones are frequently cut in this style.
Buff Top cut is an example of Mixed cuts which mixes a Faceted cut with a Non-Faceted cut. tops of colored stones are polished with a smooth unfacetted, slightly convex surface, the back being facetted in either the brilliant or the step arrangement. This results in a gem with the typical domed top of a Cabochon and a faceted pavilion. This cut shows good brilliance. Rhodite, Cubic Zirconia, Quartz and Amethyst are some of the stones that are cut in buff style.

Princess cut
Princess cut (76 facets), maximizes a gem's luster. Princess cut is a square version of the Round Brilliant cut with numerous sparkling facets. The crown of the stone in a princess cut is usually very thin and due to the heavy depth and extra facets, they more brilliant and sparkly and make excellent diamonds for engagement rings. Diamonds and other tranparent light colored stones are cut in this style.

Briolette Cut
A briolette cut stone is a drop shaped stone covered with numerous facets that corners to a pointed end. The more facets the stone has, the more brilliance it has. Briolette cut is an ancient cut style and can be found in many antique Victorian jewels and also in the Royal crown jewels. Many transparent colored stones are cut in this manner including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, garnets, aquamarines and sapphires.

Fancy cuts
Fancy shapes like triangles, ovals, pear shaped, kite-shaped, heart shaped, lozenge-shaped, pentagonal, hexagonal, rhomboids, parallelograms, rhomboids, octagons etc. require a lot of work. It requires a lot of expertise on part of the cutter of obtaining such shapes. Recent advances in cutting technology have produced a breathtaking range of innovative new shapes like flowers, clover leaves, stars etc.
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