Articles by EJA Members
SHAPE UP!!
Gemstone Contours
Just like people, gemstones come in all shapes and sizes. As a general rule most semi-clear and clear gems are cut with facets. Faceted stones are popular because of their sparkle, unlike smooth stones that, although beautiful, do not have this sparkling quality. There are several basic cuts, some have a little more pizza than others:
Cabochon: Flat on the bottom and rounded on the top. The cabochon is the oldest and most historically used cut. This shape has a perfectly smooth surface instead of facets. It is commonly used with opaque stones such as opal, jade and turquoise and is in very high demand for designs in today's handmade jewelry. The cutting of cabochon stones is an art in itself.
Round: This is the most popular faceted cut for most stones and refracts the most light. This classic shape gives maximum sparkle and fire, making it a perfect shape for diamonds.
Emerald: Less refractive but the most popular cut when faceting emeralds - thus the name! With its long, steep facets, emerald cuts tend to flash rather than sparkle. In this case, less is absolutely more . . .
Pear: This shape is very popular and is perfect for earrings and pendants. A well cut pear shape will yield graceful lines and a loads of sparkle, giving you a lot of bang for your buck!
Oval: Similar to the round shape, oval gemstones produce a high amount of sparkle and fire. Even so, this shape is not considered anywhere close to high fashion, and has somewhat fallen from favor.
Marquise: Almost exclusively used with diamonds. According to legend, this shape was commissioned by King Louis XV to resemble the smile of his mistress, Marquise de Pompadour. Ideal marquise cuts have a length to width ratio of 2:1.
Trillion: A very striking, usually three-sided shape, trillion gemstones (especially diamonds) are becoming very popular because of their intense fire.
There are certainly many more shapes than I have listed here, but these are the modern day basics. See anything you like?