1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,340 Welcome to the Gilt Trips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and 2 00:00:11,340 --> 00:00:17,560 gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 carat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:24,080 me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's 4 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:34,200 tune in on these topics and get golden. The art and science of shaping a diamond from 5 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:40,880 a rough stone into a faceted gem is more difficult than one would think. This skill and practice 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:46,000 demands a mastery of a specialized knowledge like a mathematician, high performance tools 7 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:52,920 like a carpenter, a great eye for beauty in theory, to reality like a sculptor, extreme 8 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:59,440 precision and reaction like a surgeon, and which material to salvage and which to waste 9 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:06,480 like an analyst. How did diamond cutting evolve? Why isn't technology more involved 10 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:13,680 in this aspect of the industry? What are goals for cutting the rough material? We will investigate 11 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:20,000 this and more while hearing from experts on styles, trends, and pricing in this episode. 12 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:30,400 Chapter timestamps are in the show notes. Let's begin with the goals. No pressure here, 13 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:35,680 but the game for a master cutter is four different factors that can work together or against 14 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:42,480 one another. So there is plenty of strategy before the diamond is even touched. The first 15 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:49,960 is maximum value achieved. That is going to be a composite result of how it will be priced. 16 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:57,800 Which means where flaws are located and how to optimize the best of the material. Next 17 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,720 is weight retention. While it may not sound like much of a difference between a one carat 18 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:09,520 diamond and another just under one carat, that pricing per carat is by milestones in 19 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:20,920 dollars. So a 5.01 carat diamond is the multiplier for $32,000 per carat, but a 4.99 diamond 20 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:30,400 is 24,500 per carat. That means a tiny mistake or an over polishing to be just under 5 carats 21 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:36,320 would be a $38,000 error. Which is why you will see diamonds that are less than ideal 22 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:43,200 or excellent in regards to their symmetry or polish or cut grade. They are aiming for numbers 23 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:50,720 before beauty. Third color retention. Rough material can have color zoning or chromatic 24 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:59,520 hues on an X, Y or Z axis. It matters to not only cut into the best showing of that, but 25 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:05,840 also which pattern will enhance or detract the light play and performance of that hue 26 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:12,800 in the diamond. Lastly, the turnaround in a sale of the final product. While a certain 27 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:18,520 cut may yield a higher value, a different outcome could have a better return on investment 28 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:28,360 sooner than letting it sit on the market. So where does it all begin? Some of the most 29 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:33,280 famous diamonds in the world took a year to plan, as was the case with one of Harry Winston's 30 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:41,160 legendary gems. Often a quote unquote window or spot on the rough crystal gets polished 31 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:47,040 so that the cutter can peer into the mass and plan for any flaws or blemishes that would 32 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:54,360 require a pivoting of the pattern. Once the decision has been made, the cleaving begins. 33 00:03:54,360 --> 00:04:00,000 In an ideal world, the cutter has an octahedron crystal. That looks like two pyramids glued 34 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:06,440 together at their square bases. Separating at that place would help set up a flat surface 35 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:12,000 at one end and then fastening the pyramid part into the cone shaped base of either a 36 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:18,920 round brilliant diamond or a square brilliant diamond. If the rough material is oddly shaped, 37 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:25,760 then it is usually fashioned into a fancy cut, meaning anything other than a round diamond. 38 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:32,880 As our Kaplan, a cutter for Harry Winston stated, in diamond cleaving there is no middle ground. 39 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:41,080 It is either done perfectly or it is ruined. What is cleaving? A sharp groove is made with 40 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:49,120 another diamond, a specialized saw, or nowadays a laser on the growth plane of the crystal. 41 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:56,840 A blade is inserted and a tap or blow or some type of external force creates the split and 42 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:02,640 sets the executing of the initial shape. If a cutter wants to go against the grain in 43 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:11,000 the diamond, it must be hand sawed. Next comes the brooting process. The outlining 44 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,480 of the diamond begins with the girdle, which is the widest part of the diamond, and sets 45 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:24,800 up the visual shape. Regarding round stones, to qualify as ideal cut, the diameters have 46 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:31,580 to be within a tenth of a millimeter discrepancy to be considered excellent. Along with the 47 00:05:31,580 --> 00:05:40,080 cleaving, the brooding equals high risk and a high reward step. Brooding the girdle is 48 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:46,800 traditionally accomplished with a diamond-charged flat spitting disc called a scafe. It was invented 49 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:53,560 in the 15th century and changed the art form. It operates like a record player greased with 50 00:05:53,560 --> 00:06:01,240 oil and industrial quality diamond dust. The other option is using lathes, or two road-hitting 51 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:08,320 diamonds girdling each other, much like the beaters of an electric mixer. Water jet cutting, 52 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:14,200 by using liquid at high pressure, is an ancient and modern technique that has been refined 53 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:22,440 through the ages. But if you want an unusual silhouette, it requires hand sawing that girdle. 54 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,880 Following that comes the blocking of the major and minor facets of the pattern. Creating 55 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:35,960 the dominant angles, the main facets, is called cross-working. Remember, the aim is to conserve 56 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:43,800 weight, maintain a clarity grade, and design the best degree for optics. The other part 57 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:50,800 of mapping is called brilliant tiering. Since diamonds are what is used to polish diamonds, 58 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:57,920 blocking and polishing is a one-step process unlike colored gems. Why is that? Because 59 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:04,560 gems are softer, so other compounds can be used to pre-polish and then final polish. 60 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:10,080 The diamond is cleaned of all dust and oils by going into the acid bath and is examined 61 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:17,480 for quality like an audit of the skill, precision, and craftsmanship. Either adjustments are 62 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:25,560 made or it is ready for deal or no deal. How long does it take? If the entire process 63 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:32,560 is done by hand on a center stone, it can take anywhere from a week up to six months 64 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:41,160 depending on the fastening pattern, its size, difficulty, and the techniques and timing of 65 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:48,960 the master cutter. The sawing alone is a four- to eight-hour process. Diamonds are the hardest 66 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:55,920 substance on earth. Add another four hours to polish for a round diamond, totaling eight. 67 00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:02,040 Or if you're making an emerald cut, which is the shape of a cropped corner rectangle, 68 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:12,560 it takes an average of 16 hours total. The main cutting centers are Antwerp in Belgium 69 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:18,840 and Tel Aviv in Israel. But that wasn't where the design of the first cut diamonds originated. 70 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:23,800 Any diamond, which is cut too shallow or too deep, will either allow the light to leak 71 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:29,720 out or it will absorb all of the light, preventing reflection and reducing light play of the 72 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:37,440 stone. The earliest patterning of a diamond was found in India, dating back to the 6th century. 73 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:46,160 But the origin of how the planning of a cut can be found in 14th century Europe. The point cut, 74 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:52,800 which followed the original crystal shape of the octahedron, was refining its natural shape, 75 00:08:52,800 --> 00:09:00,840 that double pyramid crystal that diamonds assume in ideal conditions. Next came the table cut, 76 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:08,120 where about half of the pyramid shape gets cut off and yields a square flat facet with a blocking 77 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:16,360 of the bottom pyramid. Moving into the 17th century, that top part that got cut off? Well, 78 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:24,480 that had a flat bottom. And now we cut the top into a faceted dome, creating the rose cut. More 79 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:32,200 material is salvaged and more styles can be created. By the 18th century, more diamond 80 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:38,520 mines are discovered, more rough is available, so more interest in sparkling jewelry is a natural 81 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:47,560 byproduct. From there, we see the invention of the old mine cut. Like before, the natural shape 82 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:56,520 in its uncut state is now faceted to keep the most weight. Here we see a high shoulder called a 83 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:04,680 crown angle, a deep base called the pavilion, a large culet cut at the bottom, but a small 84 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:11,760 table cut at the top. The outline was not symmetrical, and sometimes not even round at all. 85 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:18,720 This would become the most popular cut by the 19th century and inspire today's cushion cut 86 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:27,960 silhouettes, since many of this type ended up square or rounded rectangles. In the 1870s, 87 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:35,440 the girdle brooding became mechanical and was no longer required to be done by hand. Now we 88 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:42,320 enter the origin of the round cut, since symmetry can be achieved. Advances in proportions and 89 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:49,640 optics were made, so a shallower cut and modified angles meant better refraction when light hit 90 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:58,360 them. By the 20th century, up into the Art Deco era, we see transitional cuts or circular brilliant 91 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:06,680 diamonds as a grouping where depths were played with, facets became thinner or longer, and the 92 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:13,640 roundness is more consistent in the cutting. The formula for today's round diamond was just on the 93 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:22,760 horizon. Marcel Tchałkowski was a Belgian engineer who belonged to a Polish diamond cutting family. 94 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:32,640 His work would result in the facet number, mapping, ratios, and mathematical calculations to yield the 95 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:40,280 optimal fire and brilliance in a round diamond. The pattern was named for him, but it would get 96 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:48,160 marketed later as the American Ideal Cut. His cousin, Lazar Kaplan, would become Harry Winston's diamond 97 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:58,920 cutter, and his grand-nephew Gabby would be a world-renowned cutter in Tel Aviv. Let's walk 98 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:04,720 through some of the most well-known diamond cuts besides the round brilliant, all of which are in 99 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:12,480 the category of fancy cut by default. The first series will all have brilliant facets or triangle 100 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:20,240 shapes as part of the planning, either above or below the girdle. Names like the oval cut, 101 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:28,800 the cushion cut, the pear shape, which looks like a teardrop, and heart shape are all easy to visualize 102 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:36,120 and look like their names. The marquee cut looks like an ellipse with both ends coming to a point. 103 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:45,120 The trillion cut is based on a triangle. Then we have the princess cut, which is a square or 104 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:51,960 rectangle shaped cut, and the radiant cut diamond, which is a cropped corner square or rectangle 105 00:12:51,960 --> 00:13:00,040 with a total of 70 facets, and it lives up to its name. The second series have step cut 106 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:07,200 faceting patterns. The emerald cut has long rectangles within rectangles. The fire is 107 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:16,840 downplayed in favor of an icy look and a clear, crisp visual to enhance high clarity. The asher 108 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:24,840 cut is similar in that the corners are beveled. There's the use of concentric step cuts, but 109 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:32,720 subtle geometric pavilion facets along the bottom edges form an understated X pattern visible through 110 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:43,720 the table. As for recutting, whether the stone has been chipped, damaged, or the current 111 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:52,240 faceting pattern is not getting the diamond sold, recutting is an option. A marquee cut can easily 112 00:13:52,240 --> 00:14:01,520 transition to a pair or an oval. A princess cut can be remade into a cushion cut. An old mine or 113 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:08,920 European can get updated into a round diamond. While these options are mild adjustments, 114 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:15,560 new shaping from old material is only limited by the structure of the current plan and the 115 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:22,600 amount of loss you're willing to accept for its future incarnation. Now that you have a new and 116 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:32,400 possibly improved diamond, it may be time to send or resend for grading. The GIA, which stands for 117 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:39,760 Gemological Institute of America, is an educating laboratory that produces certifications or papers 118 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:47,000 on diamonds and other high value gems. In the diamond episode, I covered color and clarity more 119 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:52,960 deeply of the four C's. The part of the certification that addresses the plot of the diamond, 120 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:59,760 description of the faceting and total cut pattern, and quality of the composite cutting is the other 121 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:08,040 half of the document. While you may call a diamond a princess cut, the GIA will list it as square 122 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:15,720 modified brilliant cut to be technically and universally understood. Same with an Asher cut. 123 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:23,480 It would list as beveled corner square step cut so that we are all on the same visual page and not 124 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:34,360 memorizing consumer or marketing titles. Now we finish this episode with the economic impact 125 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:43,080 and consumer behavior section. But style, trends, and its impact on pricing needed people who analyze 126 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:49,400 and speak to this every day. I reached out and interviewed the team at Ratani, a direct-to-consumer 127 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:56,240 lab-grown natural diamond and custom jewelry online company. And here is how they answered a few 128 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:03,560 questions. Ria, the vice president of marketing, mentioned her personal favorite is an elongated 129 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:10,960 cushion cut diamond. It is very flattering, traditional, unique, and has a bit of vintage flair. 130 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:19,240 Marissa, the director of e-commerce, loves the way an emerald angular shape reflects the light to 131 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:24,200 make it sparkle while providing a timeless and elegant look in a solitaire ring to really 132 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:31,680 highlight the stone. Anya, the sales manager, prefers an oval, saying that they have so much 133 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:38,120 sparkle and the elongated shape makes it look larger. As for shapes trending up or falling out 134 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:45,440 of favor, Ria's popularity is often due to many different cultural influences, fashion cycles, 135 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:52,040 or what's trending with celebrities. Anya points out certain cuts go better with certain styles, 136 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:58,960 and I agree, not every center stone is flattered by a halo or gets paired with well-proportioned 137 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:08,320 side stones. Lastly, I asked about the factor most impacting the pricing. In the end, it isn't the 138 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:15,880 popularity. In the words of a Tani's vice president, complexity of the cut can also affect pricing. 139 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:22,960 Cuts that require more precision and expertise, such as the Asher or Emerald cut, can be more 140 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:34,120 expensive due to the additional labor and skill involved. Thank you for listening and learning 141 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:39,000 with me. I would love you to share this project with people finding rare beauty in today's world 142 00:17:39,000 --> 00:18:04,960 and throughout our times. Until the next episode, keep your own stories sparkling.