In their most natural form, diamonds are – well – quite ugly. They have no luster or shine,  and in fact, look like nothing more than broken glass. A diamond must be cut, and then polished before it actually becomes a thing of beauty.

Diamonds are cut with saws, into round shapes. From the rounded shape, other shapes may be cut, such as heart shapes – but the shape is less important than the quality of the cutting that is being done.

If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose light, and it will not sparkle and shine very well.

Each facet of the diamond must be carefully cut into the geometrical shapes that allow the diamond to sparkle and shine, then the entire diamond is cut into a specific shape, such as an emerald cut or a princess cut diamond.

Once the cut is done, the diamond is put into a dop, which resembles a cup with another diamond – only a diamond is strong enough to smooth the edges of another diamond.

Once the diamond has been cut and shaped, and had the edges smoothed in the dop, it is polished on a scaif or a diamond polishing wheel.

The most popular cut for a diamond ring today is still the round, brilliant diamonds cut. It was developed in the 17th century in Venice. It is still preferred when the raw crystal is in an octahedron formation.

Even though as much as 50% of the stone is cut away in the process, often two stones can be carved from an octahedron.

More unusually-shaped stones are used for fancy cuts, such as a marquise, pear or heart-shaped diamond. The earliest brilliants had 17 facets on the top of the stone and were called double-cut. This was soon improved with stones cut with 33 facets and were called triple-cut brilliants.

There are now cuts such as the princess cut, trillions, ovals, pear and heart-shaped. Some innovative cutters have even fashioned star or butterfly-shaped diamonds! One patented diamond cut, the Ashoka diamond, is an oblong cut with rounded, brilliant ends, and requires a stone 3 carats or larger.

It’s an exceptionally beautiful (and pricey!) diamond shape. Tiffany has also patented a cut of diamond called the Lucida cut. It’s the lucky bride whose fiancé gives her one of these highly coveted stones!

Books about Diamond Cut

	Diamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Evaluate, Identify, and Select Diamonds & Diamond Jewelry (Newman Gem & Jewelry Series) List Price: $18.95 Sale Price: $8.90
	Buying a diamond ring may be one of the most important jewelry-related decisions you will ever make. The Diamond Ring Buying Guide was designed to help you get the best buy possible. Written in clear, everyday English, with lots of color photos, the book shows you step-by-step how to evaluate diamonds and settings...

	Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide (Diamond, Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula) List Price: $48.00 Sale Price: $30.43
	Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula reflects the most current knowledge and practice in course and curriculum design and connects this knowledge with the critical task of assessing learning outcomes at both course and curricular levels...

	Diamonds in Nature: A Guide to Rough Diamonds List Price: $69.95 Sale Price: $53.84
	Diamonds in Nature: A Guide to Rough Diamonds illustrates the range of crystal shapes, colours, surface textures, and mineral inclusions of rough, uncut, naturally forming diamonds. Each chapter contains photographs that show the unique physical characteristics of the diamonds, and the accompanying text describes the processes that led to their formation...

	Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide--How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge List Price: $18.99 Sale Price: $7.99
	Whether you are buying a diamond for an engagement ring, anniversary, to commemorate a special moment, or for personal pleasure, today it is more important than ever to understand what you are buying. There are new shapes and cuts, fancy colours, high-tech treatments, and sophisticated frauds...

	HOW TO BUY YOUR DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING AT THE MALL (The Practical Approach) List Price: $2.99
	Buying your engagement ring at the mall is much more convenient than buying online. This book is designed to help you select the most brilliant diamond engagement ring possible for the least amount of money...

	How to Buy a Diamond: Insider Secrets for Getting Your Money's Worth, Sixth Edition List Price: $20.99 Sale Price: $5.95
	"Finally, one of the top diamond experts breaks the silence and demystifies the world of diamonds for regular folks like you and me." - Gregory J. P. Godek, author of 1001 Ways To Be Romantic Get Your Money's Worth on a Great Diamond Buying a diamond can be one of the most important and intimidating purchases you ever make...

	Rough Diamonds, A Practical Guide List Price: $89.00 Sale Price: $84.00
	It is an authoritative and concise guide on the subject of rough diamonds. When combined with studies in the classroom, it equips the student with essential knowledge to step with confidence into the field of rough diamond purchasing.