The cutting of gemstones is an art that stretches back centuries. Handed down through the generations, it has developed over time and today is no longer just an art but a science. Gemstones are even cut by lasers in today’s cutting centers . This is a brief look at the evolution of the art of cutting

In the late 1200,s the first faceted gemstones began to appear in European jewelry. This was made possible by the introduction of the horizontally turning cutting-wheel which allowed cutters to place rudimentary facets on gems to improve their light return . During the period of enlightenment – the rennaissance in Europe, the concept of light was a central theme not just in the gemstone industry but in all areas of creativity . It is interesting to note a correlation between architecture of the period and this new obsession. Light was a central feature of the renaissance artists, be it in spectacular cathedral windows, gemstone faceting or the use of light in paintings of the great artists of the day . Central to this theme was the concept of symmetry, which even today is the overriding focus of modern cutting.

Rennaissance cutters like Giovanni delle Corniole, Giacomo Tagliacarne and Pier (Pietro) Maria Serbaldi da Pescia profoundly revolutionised the industry with bold and creative cutting techniques such as the Briolette but it was the introduction of the Rosette cut in the 15th century which set the stage for the modern day industry. Its higher levels of brilliance inspired a range   of new cutting techniques which eventually led to the brilliant cut in the mid 1600’s . This cut was largely attributed to Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino.

The brilliant cut has been the focal point for the modern faceting industry, with the pursuit of brilliance and light return paramount . In today’s industry , the process of cutting a rough gemstone into facetted gemstone is a intricate process . Each step is vital to the final result . The steps are: Marking, Sawing, Preshaping, Girdling, Faceting, Polishing. The first step – marking involves conducting an examination of the stone, identifying imperfections to be removed and marking it to denote its final shape . The main focus will be on retaining weight and light return . Secondly, cleaving or sawing – a piece of rough will be sawed to remove imperfections (such as cracks ) and perhaps even cut into 2 or more stones if these imperfections make it necessary .

Next , the stone is pre-shaped using a lap to establish its basic shape . Then the rough, preshaped piece is dopped (set into a wax holder on a dopping stick, in turn held in a hand faceter) and a girdle is added, followed by the actual faceting where the cutting and polishing of each facet is achieved by continually pressing it down onto a fast rotating lap, dusted with diamond powder (All gems are cut and polished by progressive abrasion using finer and finer grits of harder substances. Diamond, being the hardest substance is mostly used as the cutting agent for colored gemstones, although there are other synthetic substances also used by some cutters ). During this faceting stage the angles of each facet must be cut in order to maintain symmetry and produce utmost brilliance. Lastly, a gemstone is polished using a different type of lap .

Cutting is an art and it can take a very long tme and great experience to become a master of this art . However, in the modern industry , some of this ancient art is being lost as the preponderance of laser cutting and machine cutting expands Cuts using this machine strive to take cutting to a new level of science where the ancient beliefs in pure symmetry are realized. Paradoxically, in the process , we stand to lose much of the mystery and art of gem cutting. Although the rennaissance cutters would no doubt appreciate the accomplishment they may lament the loss of the spirit of the art.