Jewelry Blog

> A cut can give the gemstone a certain shape, bringing out its luster and color.

Gemstone Cuts
‘Faceting’ is how a gemstone cutter shapes the gem. This is a fundamental to cutting gemstones. Here are the most common gemstone shapes used by experts: antique cushion, round brilliant cut, oval cut, baguette, octagon cut, square cut, princess cut, emerald cut, pear cut, trilliant cut, round cabochon, briolette, and marquise cut.

* The round brilliant cut is especially designed for diamonds but now is used in almost all kinds of gems. The standard number of facets of a round brilliant cut gemstone is 57. This cut is designed to give accent to the gemstone’s brilliance and scintillation. By using this cut, the gem’s sparkle and lust can be emphasized. This is the most popular cut for a diamond engagement ring.

* The baguette cut has a standard of 20 facets only. This cut is best used on those gemstones that are shaped special oblong in rough.

* While having a standard of 57 facets, the square cut is similar to the baguette cut for they are both step cuts, which means that the facets on the pavilion are cut in steps, parallel to the edges making a pyramid with its top chopped off. Only the sides of a square cut gem are on the same length.

* The trilliant cut, on the other hand, has 43 facets in standard, which comes in a triangular shape having thin and pointed tips.

* Seventy-one is the standard number of facets of a pear cut gem. This is a hybrid cut, combining the oval cut and the marquise resulting to a gem shaped like a teardrop.

Those are only some of the few gemstone cuts. There are still other cuts one can choose from depending on the feature of the gemstones he wants to give accent to. These are simply the most popular. More info here

See also: Colored Gemstones Buying Guide , How to Store Gemstone Jewelry