How Are Diamonds Cut & Polished?
When diamonds are taken from the mine they are translucent, rough and dull. It is not until a jeweler cuts and polishes the diamond that it will sparkle and shine. This sometimes raises the value of the diamond by 50 percent. Does this Spark an idea?
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Development of the Modern Process
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The modern cutting process was developed in 1919, when Marcel Tolkowsky developed a formula to determine the perfect proportions of a diamond. These proportions allow the diamond to best reflect light, which results in a diamond with more sparkles. This development allowed the diamond cutting process to become mechanized whereas before diamond facets were determined by a craftsman who relied on his experience and expertise.
Development of Cutting Mechanisms
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Prior to the development of Tolkowsky's formula, diamond craftsmen would use hammers and chisels to imprecisely cut and polish a diamond. After the growth in popularity of his formula, it became clear to diamond companies that more precise instruments needed to be developed to accurately place diamond facets. Accordingly, diamond saws became popular in the early 1900s and finally in the 1980s scientists developed a laser that could cut through a diamond.
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Modern Cutting Process
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The first step in cutting a diamond is marking it to determine the grain of the stone. This makes cutting easier and helps craftsmen cut out as many impurities as possible while still maintaining the bulk of the diamond's weight. Next, craftsmen use a mechanically-controlled diamond saw or laser to create the basic shape of the diamond. They then place the diamond in a dop--a holder that keeps the diamond from moving. In a step called bruting, the craftsman rubs the diamond with another diamond to wear away the sharp or irregular edges.
Modern Polishing Process
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Polish can refer to the process of cutting the facets of the diamond from its early, rough shape. To polish a diamond, a craftsman uses the Tolkowsky formula to determine where the facets should be placed. He polishes the various facets into the diamond using a fine, mechanically controlled saw, a laser or a rotating disk that is sprinkled with diamond powder. Some diamonds can have hundreds of facets.
Cut and Polish Quality
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The term polish can also refer to any blemishes on the surface of the diamond, such as nicks or scratches that occur during the cutting process. Polish is one of the factors that affects the cut quality of the diamond, which is graded from poor to ideal. Other factors affecting the cut quality are the expertise of the craftsman and the quality of the cutting tools used.
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References
- Photo Credit diamond image by dana nicolescu from Fotolia.com
