The Evolution of Diamond Cutting (Chapter 9, Key Terms, Key Concepts, & Diamond Manufacturing Terms) Flashcards
Placing the first 17 or
18 facets on a diamond.
Blocking
Placement and
polishing of the star and upper
and lower half facets
Brillianteering
Forming the basic face-up
outline of a round or rounded-shape
diamond to prepare it for faceting.
Bruting
Dividing a diamond
into two or more pieces along a
cleavage plane
Cleaving
A holder that secures a
diamond during sawing, bruting,
or polishing.
Dop
A notch scratched into
diamond rough to prepare it for
cleaving.
Kerf
An early
brilliant cut with a circular girdle.
Old European cut
An early cushion shaped brilliant with a high crown,
deep pavilion, and 58 facets
including a large culet.
Old-mine cut
The person who decides
where to mark diamond rough for
fashioning into the most profitable
polished gem.
Planner
Placing and finishing
facets on a rough diamond. Also
called faceting
Polishing
Dividing diamond rough
into sections, either mechanically
or by laser.
Sawing
A rapidly spinning horizontal disc coated with diamond
powder, used to polish diamond
rough.
Scaife
A simple diamond cut,
with a table, eight crown facets,
eight pavilion facets, and sometimes a culet.
Single cut
A device that holds the dop
and allows polishers to adjust and
maintain a diamond’s angle during
polishing
Tang
A rough diamond’s shape and crystal
structure influence the number, size,
and value of the finished gems it
yields.
Key Concept
The first polished diamonds appeared
in Europe around 1380.
Key Concept
The point cut and other early diamond
cuts followed the shape of octahedral
rough.
Key Concept
Early cutters used boards treated with
diamond dust and olive oil to shape
diamond rough.
Key Concept
The single cut was the basis for the
full-cut modern brilliant
Key Concept
The round brilliant is the dominant
diamond cut in today’s market.
Key Concept
Cutters apply the brilliant cut to fancy
shapes to get maximum profit from
oddly shaped or low-color rough.
Key Concept
The cutter’s challenge is to produce
the most attractive and most profitable
finished gem at the lowest production
cost.
Key Concept
Growth marks on the rough’s surface
help determine its internal crystal
directions.
Key Concept
Computer technology reduces some of
the diamond planner’s risk.
Key Concept