A diamond is a cut diamond. The treatment of the stone is designed not only to give the jewelry a graceful shape, but also to reveal its luminous properties: it is the right cut that helps the diamond sparkle with brilliant flashes of light.

Initially, stones were only polished, so they retained their natural geometry – large diamonds most often have the shape of an octahedron or dodecahedron. Gradually, with the development of jewelry, by the second half of the XIV century, craftsmen learned to cut off the upper part of the diamond: this is how the “platform” appeared. A century later, in the 15th century, the lower part of the diamond (the “caletta”) was cut, and then the side facets (the “facets”). As technical possibilities developed, the faceting became more and more complicated. In the 16th century, the rose cut appeared: it was invented by Giovanni Carniole. The stone has no top pad, and the facets are symmetrical. The number of facets in such diamonds can be from 3 to 24.

Fig 1. Shape of a rose cut diamond

Fig. 1. Shape of a rose cut diamond

After the “rose” cut, it was time for the “Mazarini” cut: diamonds received 34 facets.

Fig 2. Shape of a mazarini diamond cut: top, side and bottom views

Fig. 2. Shape of a Mazarini cut diamond: top, side and bottom views

Diamonds received a more familiar shape only in the middle of the 17th century. The Venetian jeweler Vicenzo Peruzzi designed a cut that included 58 facets. The shape of the stone was rectangular or square, with rounded edges. It was later called the Old Main Cut.

Fig 3. Shape of a diamond cut

Fig. 3. Shape of the “old main cut” diamond cut

Number of facets in a classic cut diamond

The traditional round cut with 57 facets appeared only in the 19th century. It was invented by Marcel Tolkowsky, a scientist and jeweler. He mathematically calculated the cut of a round diamond, taking into account the refraction of light so that the stone would receive maximum brilliance. Such diamonds have 24 facets on the bottom and 33 facets on the top of the stone. The 57 facet cut was so successful that it is still considered the gold standard in diamond cutting. It is called brilliant cut, Tolkowsky cut or Kr-57. It can be used to cut both large and small stones and to realize their full potential.

Figure 4. Traditional cut shape of a Kr-57 diamond

Fig. 4. Traditional shape of the Kr-57 diamond cut

Striving for greater brilliance of stones, jewelers invented new, more complex ways of cutting. Some of the modern shapes have more than 100 facets. But as much as jewelers would like to create the most sparkling diamond possible, the choice of shape and type of cut depends on the original data of the diamond. When cutting a large specimen, it can take a couple of months just to calculate the optimal shape.

Cut types and number of facets

Let us briefly describe the most common modern cut shapes used by jewelers today.

  • Round shape. This is the most popular shape for cutting diamonds. Depending on the size of the original diamond, it can have 17, 57 or 85 facets.
  • Oval shape. Traditionally, it has 57 facets.
  • Marquis cut. A fancy shape: an elongated oval with pointed edges. It has 55 facets.
  • Princess cut. Rectangular shape, the most popular among straight cut diamonds. Contains 65 facets.
  • Usher cut. Rectangular shape, a combination of radiant and emerald (step) cuts. The number of facets depends on the size: 49, 57 or 75 facets.
  • Emerald cut. Straight cut with steps. It has 65 facets.
  • Pear cut. Shaped like a drop. The number of facets is 65.
  • Trilliant cut. A triangular diamond that most often has 52 facets. However, their number can be different – from 31 and more.
  • Radiant cut. A wedge cut with a rectangular or square shape. It contains from 65 to 89 facets.
  • Cushion cut. A square or rectangular diamond with rounded edges. Typically has 64 facets.
  • Heart cut. A fancy shape. It has 56-58 facets.

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