Diamond Rings

Diamond Rings: The Origin of the Point Cut

As diamonds are basically crystals of carbon, their natural pattern of growth is symmetrical and geometric. Diamond crystals usually grow in tetrahedrons (three dimensional triangular shapes) neatly, one on another, and if there was no interference, they would grow into nicely symmetrical eight-sided or twelve-sided 3-D shapes.

Unfortunately, there is interference – as the diamond crystal is forming, if a little piece of another mineral comes in the way, the diamond merely carries on forming around it. This naturally distorts the shape of the diamond that is forming and is the origin of the "inclusion" – the flaw that can occur within the diamond. In addition, if one cluster of the crystalline diamond meets another cluster, they join up and carry on crystallizing, creating all kinds of shapes.

Diamond Rings: The Early Point Cut

When diamonds first began to be worn as ornaments, only the pieces with a naturally good shape with clean enough faces to show a little lustre were used – naturally these were rare, and highly valued. Once diamond dust began to be used as a polishing medium, more diamonds became useful as ornaments, but again, the number remained limited. Diamonds with a natural octahedron shape were easiest to "clean up". Diamond dust could scrub off surface impurities and restore some sparkle to the facets of the stone, but it could not even out the little irregularities in the contours. During the 1300s, it was discovered that diamond dust could also be used to cut another diamond. Using a hammer and a chisel coated with diamond dust, the craftsman cut along each natural facet, to achieve as much symmetry as possible. It was a very tedious and laborious task, needing great care and skill, but once the desired shape was achieved (the rough bits taken off), polishing with diamond dust gave the gem facets their final brilliance, and the Point Cut was born.

In those times, the size of the diamond was highly valued, so the Point Cut was very popular, as it followed the natural octahedron shape with as little loss in material (and therefore weight) as possible. Diamonds as jewellery started gaining popularity and the first guild of "diamantaires" (diamond cutters and polishers) was formed in 1375.

Diamond Rings: The Classic Point Cut

In the late 1400s, a Flemish diamantaire in Antwerp, Lodewyk van Berken invented the Scaif, a polishing wheel impregnated with diamond dust and olive oil that symmetrically grinded away at each facet of the diamond producing a perfect cut and brilliant finish. He introduced the concept of placing and cutting the facets of the diamond in perfect symmetry and revolutionized the diamond industry, producing the first diamond cut with precision. A bronze statue of Lodewyk van Berken was erected in the Diamond District of Antwerp, holding a diamond in his right hand.

The perfectly precise Point Cut has long been associated with the diamond, and that shape still commonly denotes the diamond. Like the symbol of the suit of diamonds in a pack of cards and a baseball field which is not rectangular like most playing fields or even a square – it’s a diamond!