Best friends girls are judged not only by clarity, color and carat weight, but also by the shape of the cut. It depends on her how beautiful the play of color and shape of the gemstone will be. The shape of the processed material for expensive jewelry may look like a geometric figure: a circle, an oval, a triangle, a rhombus, and so on. The cut is characterized by the number of faces, their location and shape. What are the types of gem cuts? Let's get acquainted with the basics of jewelry craftsmanship.

Technology of turning and cutting gemstones

Before proceeding to the description of the types of cutting of precious lights, it is worth paying attention to the technology of working with raw materials. The turning stage determines the quality of the future product and the percentage of raw materials used. Once upon a time, all operations were carried out manually, but today special machines have been developed. One experienced operator can service about twelve of these machines at the same time. The whole process and the result of processing is reflected on the monitor.

Faceting is carried out in order to give natural and synthetic materials a certain shape, the number of faces, achieving brilliance, eliminating certain defects (usually of natural origin). The whole process is divided into two stages: grinding and polishing.

During grinding, particles are removed from the surface of the processed raw material to give it a certain shape. In the future, when polished, the polished surfaces are given a mirror finish. After all technological operations are completed, the stones are washed in an acid solution, and the last - in boiled water, and drying twice with alcohol. After that, all stones are sent to the product quality control departments.

Cut types: standard round and fancy

More than 90% of diamonds and many other precious and semi-precious stones have round shape. This type of gemstone cutting is considered classic. Features round shape standard ornament and proportions, higher cost finished product, a highly professional approach to all operations. This type of gemstone cutting (description and forms discussed in more detail below) results in the irretrievable loss of more than half of the original mass of the material.

Other cut shapes (all but the round shape) are called fancy cuts. Although the well-known Argentine jeweler from Antwerp, Gaby Tolkovsky, who cut many diamonds in his life, believes that it is the round shape of raw materials for jewelry that should be called fancy. In nature, diamonds are found in different shapes, but those that set the shape of the future stone can be square, triangular, rectangular, beveled, but never round.

The attractiveness of fancy cuts of gemstones is based mainly on the attractiveness of the form itself, and not on the play of color and the depth of the stone's hue. Even the name of one or another form of cut in most cases sounds more attractive, for example, "Princess" or "Marquis". The standard cut is more thought out in terms of the play of light, the most beautiful view stone in terms of optical properties.

Gemstone Classic

As mentioned above, the classic gemstone cut is the round shape. This is a time-tested cut, which was one of the first to be invented at the beginning of the twentieth century. At the same time, special diamond saws appeared, which made it possible to work with even the hardest minerals. So jewelers began using some diamonds to turn others into diamonds.

There are 57 facets in round precious and semi-precious stones. It is this type and number of facets that best show the brilliance and play of light in the stone, the depth of its shade. Also, the circle contributes to the longevity of the jewelry, as it minimizes the risk of chips and other types of damage. When reselling, a round cut is valued more than others.

For small stones, a simplified method of 33 is used if the stone weighs up to 0.99 carats, or 17 facets if the source material weighs up to 0.29 carats. The main distinguishing feature of this type of cutting of precious and semi-precious stones is that about half of the original mass is lost during processing. If you take two stones (one with a round, the other with a fancy cut) with the same weight, then outwardly the material processed in a fantasy way will look larger.

Oval Jewel Cut

This type of gemstone cutting (oval shape) is used to make rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants or necklaces. The option entered the jewelry "use" in the sixties of the last century. Oval-shaped stones in rings visually lengthen the fingers, make them graceful and thin. Jewelry with this cut material shines beautifully and shimmers in the light. Usually, oval-shaped stones have 57 facets - this is how jewelers call faces.

Cut variant from medieval France

The Marquise cut with 55 facets is used for rings, earrings and pendants. Interesting fact: the type of gemstone cutting got its name from the Marquise de Pompadour, who was the favorite of Louis XV and lived at court. Only here in Russian "marquis" is more of a male than female aristocratic title.

"Marquis" is an oval-shaped gemstone cut, but with pointed corners, to many this option looks more like a boat than a flirtatious smile of a French lady.

With jewelry, a precious or semi-precious stone in which it is cut in the form of a “Marquis”, you need to be extremely careful. Sharp ends are a vulnerable and very fragile part of the product. Rings with such stones visually lengthen the fingers and give aristocratic grace to their owner or owner.

Refined "pear", or "drop"

Features of the two previous options - oval cut and "Marquis" - combines "drop", or "pear". This type of cutting of precious and semi-precious stones is characterized by the presence of only one pointed end, while the second remains close to the standard oval shape. The quality of the processing of the pointed end is especially important. In the standard version, this type of gemstone cutting (photo below) has 55 or 56 facets.

Pear-shaped stones, as well as similar items with oval jewels or marquise cut, visually lengthen the neck, if used in pendants or necklaces, give grace to fingers, if we are talking about the ring.

Princess cut for real ladies

"Princess" in optical properties is close to the classic round cut of precious and semi-precious stones. The light in the stone "plays" in an amazing way, and the shape is usually square or rectangular. They came up with this type of cutting of precious stones and the technology for their processing in the late sixties and seventies of the twentieth century.

Princess stones are most often used for engagement rings. The number of faces may vary (49, 65, 69 or another number). Such a stone loses less of its original weight during processing than other fancy options. Yes, and the "princess" is cheaper than a romantic heart shape or a drop.

Right angles are very fragile and require additional protection.

"Emerald", emphasizing the natural purity

"Emerald" is a rectangular cut, which is used, as a rule, for large jewelry of exceptional natural purity, since it is absolutely impossible to hide almost any minor flaws with such processing. This is because the "Emerald" is a large number (57 or 65, as a rule) of small faces.

In terms of its ability to play with light, this type of cut is second only to round and Princess cuts. In terms of the intensity of light flashes, however, the Emerald surpasses them. Such stones are used in earrings, rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets.

Variation of "Emerald" from Belgian jewelers

Asscher is a variation of the Emerald cut. Such stones differ from the "Emerald" only in a larger "number of storeys" - large quantity tiers. Despite its exceptional complexity, stones have been processed in this way since 1902, when the cutting was invented by the Belgian jeweler brothers. The type of cut was named after the brothers-jewelers. The peak of popularity of this option came in the thirties of the twentieth century.

The number of facets (may be 25, 49, 72 or other) varies depending on the size and weight of the stone. Usher is used in rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, as well as other jewelry. This type of processing is well suited for precious items in the Art Deco style.

Male version of the Radiant cut

The Radiant cut usually has 65 or 70 facets (facets) and is used for earrings, pendants and rings. Owners or holders short fingers you should be careful with this type of jewelry, as the "Radiant" visually shortens and thickens the fingers even more. The type of processing of synthetic or natural stone has incorporated some character traits"Princess" and "Emerald".

More often, "Radiant" is preferred by men, since this type of cutting of precious stones (and their processing) has a majestic and even somewhat brutal character. Processing is suitable only for solid-sized stones that are beautiful in themselves.

Romantic "Heart" for pendants and pendants

The romantic cut "Heart" plays beautifully in the light. It is used in the manufacture of earrings, pendants, pendants, it is less common in rings, since it is difficult to make a complex shape from a small stone. According to the processing method, the option is close to the "Drop", the number of faces is usually 57-58.

The ratio of the length and width of the jewel after processing should be one to one. It is this ratio that makes the shape beautiful and durable. Proportion ensures that the center of the heart is less vulnerable to accidental bumps or falls.

Unusual Trillion

The number of facets may vary: 19, 31, 37, 52 or other number. Used "Trillion" (another name for "Trilliant") in rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

A type of gemstone cut called "trilliant" with sharp or smooth corners originated in Holland. This is one of the "youngest" options for processing artificial or natural stones, since they came up with it in the eighties of the twentieth century. The shape of the faces can be square, diamond-shaped or rectangular - it all depends on the initial properties of the stone and the creative intent.

Smooth round cabochon cut

Cabochon-cut stones look rather unusual. This is a round shape, but the stone is completely smooth. Usually stones are processed in this way, which practically do not transmit light, but have a good optical effect and a deep own color. It is in the form of "Cabochons" that turquoise, opal, cat's eye hairy, Moonstone, star ruby ​​and sapphire.

Other types of gemstone processing

Gemstone cuts (names and descriptions above) do not end with this list. There is also a "Baguette" - a rectangular cut with "steps". If the aspect ratio during this processing is eventually one to one, then a standard square is obtained. In Russia, traditional "Baguettes" have a proportion of 1.4 to 1 or more.

The Octagon cut, which is similar to the Princess, is not particularly common. What is remarkable about this type of processing is that it is ideal for very fragile gemstones. "Octagon" effectively protects against chips and favorably represents the optical properties of the stone.

The "Pentahedron" cut completely repeats the shape of the geometric figure of the same name. Typically, stones processed in this way are inserted into voluminous jewelry, which are purchased "in fashion" and for one season. But the "Hexagon" is more durable and is usually the central stone of the composition.

Cut quality rating scale

The quality of the cut is indicated in the certificate, which must be attached to the jewelry. In the foreign system, the following classification is adopted:

• E - excellent cut;
• VG, G - good;
• F - satisfactory;
• P - unsatisfactory.

Russian jewelers also use alphabetic characters, but they classify stones not by the first letter of the quality of processing, but alphabetically - A, B, C, D, where A is a first-class cut. True, domestic jewelers evaluate stones more strictly. For example, category E stones according to Russian standards may well correspond to the letter B.

Most precious and semi-precious stones require additional processing to fully display their beauty, brilliance and color. The processing of any mineral includes several stages and depends on the type of gem, its condition, the sketch of the future product and the skill of the jeweler. The main preparatory operations before installing the insert into the jewelry are sawing and cutting stones, as well as grinding and polishing.

The main methods of processing gems

This is the most ancient and well-known way of cutting precious and semi-precious stones. The result is a spherical jewelry insert. Cabochon processing of a stone allows you to hide its natural defects.

In this case, the processing of precious stones consists in applying facets in the form of geometric shapes to the surface.

The cutter gives the mineral the shape of two truncated pyramids connected at the bases. The stone has a round outline and 57 or 58 facets. This processing is the most popular and expensive due to the large losses in weight and volume of the feedstock. If it is necessary to maintain the weight of the gem, the Cushion cut with rounded corners is used.

The precious insert has a flat base and a pattern on the top formed by triangular facets. The most famous cuts are: Dutch, Antwerp, Semi-Dutch, Cross, Double Dutch, Ball, Briolette.

fantasy. The number of faces is 80, they are arranged in 4 rows at different angles. This gemstone cut has several varieties:

• ladder - the gem takes the form of a truncated pyramid with trapezoidal side faces;
• oval - oval shape and edges in the form of wedges;
• stellate - triangular faces in the center of the stone form a star;
• marquis - the shape of the "boat" and wedge edges;
• pear - the side faces are made in the form of wedges, the stone has the shape of a drop;
• princess - a mineral of a square or rectangular shape, with a wedge cut and sharp corners;
• emerald - a rectangular mineral is processed by step cutting, the corners are truncated, the base has the shape of an octagon (octagon);
• radiant - the base is made in the form of an octagon, the edges are in the form of wedges;
• usher - emerald cut variation, stone square shape has a greater number of steps;
• heart - the contour of the base is made in the form of a heart with wedge faces.

mixed. The connection in the stone of flat and concave-curved faces.

Trilliant or triangular. The faceted stone has the shape of a triangle, the edges are made in the form of wedges.

The rectangular-shaped mineral is cut with a step cut. They make a trapezoidal and square baguette, very rarely - an octagon.

Choice of method

The cabochon cut is used in most cases for opaque or translucent minerals with a pronounced surface color. This processing allows you to hide numerous defects in gems or foreign inclusions that cannot be removed.

Round brilliant cut is used for jewelry stones with strong light dispersion: diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. For large gemstones, pear or oval cuts are often used. The radiant diamond cut is used for large fancy color diamonds. "Trilliant" inserts are made as an addition to the main large stone, therefore, small and medium gems are processed in this way.

Features of stones with different cuts

Stones cut cabochon have the ability to focus light in themselves. They are often used to decorate religious and mystical objects.

Brilliant cutting is only possible for an experienced jeweler, since all edges and edges must be made with exact observance of all proportions. In this case, the scattering of light rays and sparkle will be maximum.

Transparent precious inserts with an elongated shape often acquire a "bow tie". This is an optical darkening effect in the center of the mineral perpendicular to its elongated part. This phenomenon reduces the cost of jewelry. A ring with a pear-cut, marquise-cut or oval-shaped stone visually lengthens the fingers, while earrings with such inserts make round face oval.

The gem after the “Princess” cut must be carefully fixed in the corners to prevent them from chipping. Emerald processing makes the mineral "open", so even with the naked eye, color defects, cracks and chips are visible on it. Baguette-shaped stones also require careful examination for damage and natural imperfections.

Step cut is used for transparent and translucent gemstones with uneven coloring. The cutter can emphasize the primary color or turn the gem into a 'chameleon' that changes color depending on the angle of view and lighting.

Working with diamonds

Before starting work on refining a diamond, the jeweler evaluates the initial parameters: size, shape, clarity, presence of cracks or turbidity. After that, a decision is made on the use of the mineral. You can make a large diamond of low quality or several small ones with ideal characteristics. Unfortunately, one has to sacrifice one of the jewelry quality parameters of diamonds: weight, color, cut or clarity.

The next step is sawing or splitting the crystal. Now this procedure is performed using a laser or a special diamond-coated saw. If it is necessary to obtain two diamonds from the workpiece, sawing is carried out. For more stones, the main mineral is split along the lines of the crystal lattice. If you plan to get an octagon-shaped diamond, the upper part of the workpiece is cut off. It is possible to split the diamond in half.

On a grinding wheel, a diamond is given a round, oval or fancy (“boat”, octagon, square) shape. A girdle appears on it - a thin "belt" that separates the upper part of the stone from the lower. In the girdle zone, the diamond has the largest diameter. Then, facets are applied in a certain sequence - facets, bringing their number to the classic 58. If other types of cutting are used, there may be more faces.

The final stage is polishing. It is carried out in several stages using diamond powder. After that, the finished diamond is inserted into the jewelry and fixed.

A cut can give a noble appearance to an ornament, the types of which have been honed for centuries and have their own characteristics. Without a cut, any gem will seem like a simple stone - unattractive and modest. Only masters are able to give such a mineral charm and grace.

Processing of precious stones, the types of which, taking into account current trends have become numerous, is a real jewelry art. With a minimum loss of the precious mass of the stone, it should highlight the main advantage of the jewelry and provide such a play of light so that no one has any doubt that before his eyes is a real masterpiece.

The main meaning of gemstone processing

Cutting is the mechanical processing of precious or semi-precious minerals in order to obtain the desired structure, which provides the greatest manifestation of the characteristics of the material. The essence of the process is the formation of regular geometric surfaces on the surface of the gem, which, having formed into a single figure, create the desired effect of perception.

The main task that cutting solves is the creation of such a play of light, which will ensure the best perception color palette and glitter. The iridescent light effect is provided by a large number of facets and their arrangement so that the multiple reflections and refractions of the light rays entering the crystal are used to the maximum. The refraction of rays should be decomposed into spectral components, which give color overflows.

The refinement of precious stones by cutting technology includes two main elements: the external shape of the stone and the type of facets (their shape, location, number). The cutting of stones, the types of which, taking into account modern trends, are quite numerous, is a labor-intensive process. The minimum number of faces is 30, and complex shapes increase them to 240. At the same time, they must be made at the right angle and with a perfectly flat surface.

In addition to the play of light, the cut must fulfill several conditions: polishing of the material, manifestation of the main color and shape, minimal loss of precious mass, alignment with the design of the entire piece of jewelry in style, palette, etc. The choice of the type and shape of the gem is made taking into account its material, size and purpose of decoration. For some precious stones (emerald, brilliant), characteristic types and forms of cutting are recognized, which are usually not used for other stones.

Types of ennoblement

Cutting in the general case is the formation of many facets (facets) on a stone. Dividing it into types evaluates the number of faces, their shape and size, the location of the facets relative to each other. We can distinguish the main types of cutting:

1. Rose cut is the formation of facets without a platform and a lower part. The base of the gemstone is flat, and a crown of facets is assembled above it. triangular shape placed strictly symmetrically. Depending on the size of the decoration, the number of facets is 12 or 24. Currently, the popularity of this variety has declined.
2. Brilliant cutting is a complex multifaceted treatment for crystals with strong light dispersion (for example, diamond). The classic diamond type contains 57 facets arranged in the following form elements: pavilion (rear area) - 24 facets; crown (facial area) - a platform (a face with a large area) and 3 rows of facets, 11 faces each. Such a diamond has only a round stone shape.
3. A step cut is a design where the facets are placed one above the other, and the top is made in the form of a polygonal platform. Lateral facets are made in the variant of trapezoids or isosceles triangles.
4. The tabular variety is one of the most simple species and contains two steps (lower and upper). The upper part of the stone can be made in the form of one flat surface.
5. The emerald cut is a type of stepped cut produced on an octagonal formation stone.
6. Asher is a square crystal formation based on the emerald type but with more tiers. This type of processing is applicable to stones of high color purity.
7. Wedge cutting is a type of cutting in which the corner and side top facets are triangular in shape. Four faces on the side are combined at each edge of the upper face (platform), forming 4 tetrahedral with a trapezoidal base; and the lower part is constructed from similar combinations, but from platforms of a triangular formation. The belt separating the crown from the pavilion is raised by 2/3 of the total height of the mineral.

What can be the shape of the cut?

The jewelry itself has a characteristic gem shape, which is also an important processing parameter. The following main forms are distinguished:

1. Circle - combined with a classic brilliant cut. It is the most common form of processing and is applicable to both large and small stones.
2. Oval - considered a variation of the circle, but has become popular, especially in wedding rings. Works well with rose cut.
3. Pear - is more complex type processing with drop-shaped or pear-shaped stone. The pointed part of such a stone is attached to a necklace, earrings or pendants. A variation of this type of cut is the briolette.
4. Marquis is a grain-like crystal formation with 2 pointed corners. Most often, the length of the stone is chosen 2 times the width. When creating composite decorations, for example, the following design is used: 1 large "marquise" is located vertically, and several smaller "marquises" are horizontal.
5. Heart - this processing ensures the formation of 2 corners, one of which has a convex shape. AT classic version the length and width of the stone are made the same.
6. A cabochon is a spherical cut of a stone. It can be made smooth (without facets) or with a specific cut along the surface of the sphere. The following types of processing are used: a simple cabochon - a mineral in the form of a concave lens; double cabochon - the stone has a convex-concave shape.

Carrying out the processing of jewelry stones

The ennoblement of precious stones includes a number of specialized operations performed by master jewelers: the separation of a crystal into parts; turning, cutting; carving (glyptic) according to the material (on semi-precious stones). The separation of the crystal into parts can be done by splitting or sawing. When splitting, special equipment is used (special knife, mounting frame), and the stone is fixed with a cement composition. Sawing requires special equipment - a machine with sawing sections different type. The most commonly used machines are SRB, ShP-2 Russian production or Novex (Germany). The thickness of the disks is no more than 0.05 mm, which avoids large losses.

The shape of the stone is given by turning or peeling. A special machine for such an operation looks like a small lathe.

For processing, a diamond tool is used.

AVM equipment is often used.

Cutting includes operations such as grinding and polishing. Grinding is carried out on a machine with a vertically placed tool, which rotates at a speed of up to 3000 rpm. Grinding is carried out using diamond powder mixed with olive oil. Grinding powder is rubbed into the surface of the cast iron disk of the machine using ceramic plates. Then these discs with rubbed powder are used to process the precious stone until the desired facet is obtained. The process of complete grinding consists of many consecutively performed such operations.

The ennoblement of precious stones is an indispensable element of their processing. Only after processing they become the decoration that you want to admire.

Cutting is a very complex operation and must be carried out by a highly experienced specialist; any defect in processing can lead to the rejection of valuable material.

The magnificence and natural beauty of precious stones has been appreciated by mankind since ancient times. This is evidenced by numerous historical references in the literary sources of India, Iran, Judea and ancient egypt. Even then they were the personification of wealth, sophistication and luxury. But as for the processing of gems, giving them additional brilliance, transparency or the play of light, people learned to do all this much later.

In those distant times, craftsmen could only polish or polish the natural facets of minerals. And some stones were worn in their raw form. They looked very natural and natural. Gemstones with high hardness were polished - diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

Despite this, it is ancient world we owe this type of cut as a cabochon. Today it is considered the simplest of the existing ones, and then it was almost the only one. The name of this cut comes from the French word caboch. It translates as "tower". With this method of processing the stone, it was given a convex shape without any facets. Thus, in ancient Rome, minerals with reduced hardness were processed.

Already in the Middle Ages, in Europe, jewelers learned how to grind precious and semi-precious stones, cleaning them from external contamination and cloudiness. The crystals were separated from the rock, the natural pellet was cleaned and their natural facets were delicately emphasized. Such processing was very similar to a cabochon.

After this jewelry procedure, the stones were fixed on things with the help of filigree or deaf profiled metal frames, which sometimes even had additional clips. Today, cuts of this kind are used for translucent or opaque minerals, which can often have defects.

The ancient East, in turn, was famous for its great love for jewelry made from beads. To get them, the stones were processed from all sides, polished to perfect balls, in which holes were then drilled and strung on threads. Often, craftsmen filled such beads with paint so that the gem acquired a richer and deeper color.

It is known that Indians were the first to learn how to cut stones. It was here that the ancient diamond cutting originated, which is why it is often called Indian. But in Europe, diamonds began to be cut with complex faces in the middle of the fifteenth century. The pioneer was Lodewijk van Berkem, a Dutchman by origin, who was the first to use diamond powder for this procedure. Soon, a similar method of processing hard gems was widely used.

Before getting perfect flat surface diamonds were cut during the Renaissance. At the same time, they tried to leave the gem as open as possible. To do this, the minerals were placed in frames that were perfectly fitted to them. The situation changed only by the middle of the seventeenth century, when mankind discovered facet grinding and cutting, in which the mineral is covered with a large number of flat small faces.

Such a cut immediately "kills two birds with one stone." Firstly, after it, the stone seems to come to life, shimmers, “plays”, and its shade improves. Secondly, with this treatment, you can hide minor flaws in the gemstone, obscure cracks, while maintaining the size of the crystal itself.

• Emerald, brilliant, step - types of cutting, as they are

Despite the fact that jewelry art is more than four thousand years old, there is no general classification of cut forms to this day. But conditionally, jewelers distinguish such types of polishing and cutting: smooth, mixed and faceted.

In turn, the first is divided into semicircular-vaulted and even-flat. Mixed combines several polishings, for example, the upper part of the stone can be faceted, and the lower one smooth. For transparent gemstones, faceted cutting is used directly. It reveals the gem in all its splendor, gives it an extraordinary play of light and gives it a magical shine. All this thanks to the many perfectly polished small edges. The result is the so-called dispersion effect. In this case, the facet cut is divided into step and brilliant.

• Brilliant cut

Especially for diamonds, a brilliant cut was developed. Only a diamond treated in this way can be considered a diamond. This processing has at least 24 facets in the lower part of the mineral and 32 facets in the upper part around the site. If another stone is processed with a brilliant cut, then the designation of its mineralogical nature appears in its name. So, zircon will be referred to as a zircon diamond.

Classic brilliant cut (scapolite)

For small diamonds, the figure-eight cut is often used, when both the lower and upper parts have the same number of facets - eight in one and the same number in the other. It is used only when full cutting is unprofitable or impossible.

• rose cut

This type of facet cut is not often used, as it does not sufficiently reveal the play of light. It began to be used in jewelry in the sixteenth century. It does not have a lower part and platform and is divided into seven varieties, among which the most famous are - semi-Dutch rose, Dutch rose, double Dutch rose, Antwerp rose.

The crown of the stone is built from triangular faces arranged symmetrically. They are usually twenty-four or twelve. At the same time, the base of the mineral remains flat, and the stone itself acquires a rounded shape. An exception to the rule can be called such cuts as Antwerp Rose, Briolette and Double Dutch Rose.

• Step cut

One of the simplest types of facet cutting is ladder cutting or the so-called step cut. It is used for colored transparent gems. The facets here are located one above the other, the upper platform has the shape of a polygon, and the side faces are made in the form of isosceles triangles or trapezoids. There are much fewer facets in the upper part than in the lower part. Such a cut emphasizes the internal coloring of the mineral.

• Cabochon

For smooth polishing, cabochon cutting is mainly used. When using it, the gem acquires a convex, smooth and polished surface without any edges. In addition, this is the name of the stones that are processed in this way. The word comes from the French "caboche" and translates as "head". This is because often a mineral polished in this way has a spherical or oval shape and is flat on one side.

This is how stones are processed, which have an interesting optical effect and good color, but do not have a strong brilliance when cut. In addition, translucent and cloudy gems are polished with a cabochon.

Interestingly, it is in the form of cabochons that many minerals show all their virtues and are revealed from the best side. Vivid examples are stones such as noble opal, "star ruby", turquoise, chrysoberyl (" cat eye”), hairy, “star sapphire”, oligoclase (“moonstone”). Of the inexpensive minerals that are used for inserts in jewelry and are processed cabochon: lapis lazuli, hawk's eye, jade, " eye of the Tiger”, malachite, serpentine, agate.

Despite the fact that there are a huge variety of cabochon shapes, standard or generally accepted ones are most often used in jewelry. For example, a cross, pendant, heart, polygon, circle and oval. There are high and medium cabochons, depending on the curvature of the top.

Choose a specific form, guided by practical considerations. Evaluate the brittleness of the mineral and its use in jewelry. Oval is used for specimens that are prone, in thin areas, to easy chipping. Gemstones are cut all around, having some kind of effect - asterism or the effect of a light star. So the stone is able to show all its beauty. Gems with a rich texture and natural patterns, it is advisable to process in the form of a table, such as charoite.

In many cases, the shape of the stone itself is influenced by its direct use in jewelry. So, round and square stones are processed for men's signet rings, and for delicate women's rings - an oval. For the manufacture of earrings, a shuttle or an elongated oval is more suitable.

• Other cuts

When facets are divided into four wedges, such a cut is called wedge. This is a type of step cut. Ceylon processing is called such processing, in which the mass of the mineral is maximally preserved. In this case, a large number of small edges are applied to it. Therefore, this cut is always symmetrical.

For emeralds, as well as for diamonds, there is its own type of processing. It bears the name of the mineral and is an offshoot of the step cut. After it, the stones have an octagonal shape.

A simple type of step cut is tabular cut. Today it is actively used to create men's signet rings. To increase the platform of the mineral, its upper part is made flat.

The Mongolian type cut is very popular in the East. It lies in the fact that the gem, according to the cleavage of the crystal, has parallel planes, between which one or more rows of facets are made.

The forms that are given with the same type of cut can be completely diverse. The gem can be processed in the form of a ball, cone, oval, triangle or hexagon. Some stones look very impressive when polished antique, when a rectangle or square has gently convex sides and rounded corners. There are also such forms as a trapezoid, a baguette or an elongated rectangle, a square or a square, a pear-shaped drop or a pear, a marquise or shuttle, an olive, a briolette, pendants and a French cut.

Like jewelry, the art of cutting is constantly evolving and jewelers are experimenting and trying new things. So, Russian masters, not so long ago, showed the world completely new types of cutting for topaz and quartz. They not only reveal positive sides stones, but also have very spectacular names - "dawn", "snowflake" and "bright star".

• How to choose a gemstone for good luck: some cutting tips

Before buying a gemstone, it is necessary to evaluate its cut well, because it is it that affects the way the energy of the gem is manifested. Intense astrological aspects correspond to stepped, brilliant and figure-eight cuts, in which the facets of the mineral form angles of forty-five and ninety degrees.

Such stones will always put their owner in front of a difficult choice - to work on themselves and receive the gifts of fate, or to forgive themselves for all weaknesses and let everything take its course, then reaping all the negativity of their irresponsibility.

Fantasy cut opal

Sometimes minerals are blamed for their ability to bring misfortune, they are even called cursed. But, in fact, gems are not to blame, as they are a direct reflection of the actions of their owners. They only process information and energy, turning it into either positive or negative.

Therefore, one should not let everything take its course, be ruthless and selfish. It is necessary to make sacrifices in order to achieve the goal, and if you are ready to make this, then diamond-cut stones will always help you achieve success. Otherwise, if you do not want to work on yourself, develop and benefit from your actions, then gems will bring only negativity into your life.

The very first type of cutting known to mankind was the cabochon - in ancient times, the processing of gems was quite primitive, and everything superfluous was simply cut off from the stone, giving it a rounded shape similar to a “head”. Cabochons have not gone out of fashion today, but in our time only opaque and translucent semi-precious stones (for example, turquoise, malachite, rose quartz, charoite) are cut this way, because light cannot penetrate inside the gem, and the best option- make it reflect off the surface itself. Some special effects - starryness, iridescence, opalescence - are best seen when the stone is cut cabochon, so it seems as if a six-pointed star shimmers on a ruby ​​or sapphire (they most often have asterism). The most common are simple cabochons, with a flat base and a convex top surface. In addition, there are double cabochons, where the lower face is also slightly curved in the opposite direction from the upper side, and convex-concave cabochons, in which the lower base is curved in the same direction as the upper plane, making the stone look like a lens.

You should not confuse cabochons with gems - plates of semi-precious stones on which a certain three-dimensional plot was carved. When the picture is convex and seems to protrude from the surface of the stone, then the product is called a cameo; the image buried inside the stone is called intaglio. Glyptic is usually applied to multilayer colored gems - chalcedony, jasper, agate.

Emperor Augustus, ancient Roman cameo
ancient intaglio

Transparent Types of cut gems, regardless of value, are customarily cut with a different number of geometrically regular facets applied in a certain proportion. For the first time this type of cut was discovered by the jewelers of Ancient India, where precious stones were the main value, and love for them was enormous. Then pieces of stone, regardless of size, were covered with a large number of small faces, often asymmetrically located - this was the prototype of facet cutting, where the shape of the mineral was formed from many flat polygons.

Later, more advanced types of facet cutting appeared - one of the most interesting, but not used today, was a rose, i.e. a cut consisting of a flat lower base, like the base of a cabochon, and a faceted upper part, on which all the faces "converged" to the center. There were several varieties of roses - Dutch with 24 faces, close to a circle in outline, semi-Dutch and Antwerp with the outlines of a hexagon, and a cross-rose, on the surface of which a cross protruded by combining the faces.

A step or polished cut, which was previously called a “table”, is usually a fairly large stone with an upper flat and wide platform, from which elongated faces descend stepwise and parallel to each other.

Its variety is a wedge cut, similar in everything to the previous one, but with an additional application of wedge-shaped faces - each elongated chamfer is crushed with the help of one or two triangular "wedges" connected by vertices.

The brilliant cut was invented in the 17th century in Holland to fully reveal the beauty of the stone of the same name and give it its characteristic iridescent brilliance. It consists of two polyhedral pyramids, folded at the bases - the lower one is full, the upper one is truncated, with a polygonal table at the top. The minimum number of facets of this type of cut is 17 (for the smallest stones); generally accepted - from 57 (24 facets in the lower part, 33 in the upper); large and valuable stones can get up to 240 or more facets ...

The most popular types of cut are brilliant and step, as well as their hybrid - mixed cut, which has taken the features of both types of gem processing. The famous “briolette” cut, which is applied to oblong, irregularly shaped stones, which are given the appearance of a faceted “drop”, belongs to mixed ones.

And the last in the list, but by no means the last in beauty, is the fancy cut, which includes elements of a combined cut with the addition of wedges and other various facet shapes. In a "fantasy" way, inserts of unusual shapes are made - hearts, drops, stars, a flower, a shuttle, a coat of arms, etc.