A skilled craftsman can turn a dull pebble into a valued stone. For centuries, various styles and techniques have been developed for such transformation and today craftsmen have various cutting styles available for displaying a gem's special quality. A lapidary needs to consider the rough material's shape and position of the flaw fractures when he wants to cut a gemstone in the best manner.
He must also be aware of the optical properties of the minerals along with the physical properties. Producing a well polished parallel to the direction of the cleavage is not easy. However, a diamond's cut can be often considered as a compromise between production of biggest gemstones and full display of beauty, since size also has an impact on the value.
The simplest and oldest cut is the Cabochons. These are oval or round gems having a curved and plain surface. This cut is in use today as well and it displays the patterns and colors in translucent and opaque stones in the best manner. Even optical effects like iridescence, cat's eye, stars and sheen can be best displayed by this cut.
Today, for all the transparent gems, faceted styles are used. These styles were developed much later and became very famous in medieval India and Europe. A pattern of well polished flat planes or facets are worked on the gem's surface in these styles. These facets act like mirrors. The reflection of light takes place from the surface of the crown facets that displays luster.
Through the top part of the stone, light that enters the gem gets reflected from the bottom facets, which display fire and color. It is very important for the facets to be angled precisely so that maximum beauty and sparkle can be provided to the gem, angles varying based on each gem's mineral property. If a gem is not cut in the right manner, light tends to leak out through the bottom facet and due to this, the fire and color is lost.
When it comes to modern jewelry, step cut and brilliant cut are the most popular and familiar styles. The brilliant cut was introduced for showing off the outstanding fire and luster that diamonds are famous for. It was also used for other gemstones. Stones like emeralds have a very good color quality and step cut is considered to be perfect for such stones. But for most of the gemstones, the brilliant cut is the most popular.
The number of angles and facets that should be given to a diamond or any other stone is worked out on a mathematical basis and due to this the stone sparkles and looks bright. Most of the diamonds available in the market are cut as round brilliants. Each stone has approximately 58 facets and under this, 33 facets are the part on the top and 25 facets are found on the lower part. Larger stones can have more than 58 facets. Without the culet there can be 57 facets in a gemstone.
In recent years the jewelry market has seen a remarkable surge in the production and sales of jewelry made from platinum. Platinum was a popular metal for jewelry around the first part of the 20th century and was used in many Victorian styles designs. Platinum has the look of white gold or highly polished sterling silver, but its price tag is a little more inflated. Platinum is a precious metal that seems to be a little more precious than others.
The first reference to platinum among Europeans was in 1557. It was written about by Julius Ceasar Scaliger as a mysterious metal that had been found in mines in Central America. It was grayish white in appearance and was given the name platinum after the Spanish word platina, which means little silver. Russia is where there were large deposits of platinum found in 1819 and it is from there that 90% of the platinum in the world came from through the first part of the 20th century.
The rarity of platinum is the biggest reason for it costing considerably more than gold or silver. Platinum is also highly durable and non corrosive like titanium. Platinum is used as a component in many other products besides just jewelry. It can be used in photography in certain processes. It is used as a catalyst in the catalytic converter which is a component in some gasoline fuel systems. Recently it is being used in some forms of cancer drugs.
The jewelry that was made from platinum at the turn of the 20th century often had diamonds included in the designs. It was during this time that diamonds were available on a broader scale and more affluent people would combine diamonds and platinum as a symbol of their wealth as well as the beauty this jewelry had. The pieces from that era are highly collectable today.
The new modern styles of platinum jewelry are still being worn by the very rich. Many of the top movie and music stars of today can be seen wearing everything platinum from some delicate small pieces of jewelry to elaborate bold creations dripping with precious gem stones of all kinds, not just the diamond.
Wedding rings are also one of the most popular items in platinum jewelry today as well. Platinum jewelry is reaching a broader market now with purchases even by the less than wealthy in our culture simply because everyone wants it!
Both Victor Epand & Dror Klar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Victor Epand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Trucks and Interest. Victor Epand is an expert consultant about jewelry and diamonds. When looking for jewelry, we recommend you shop only at the best online jewelry stores for