This
seems incredible, but a more marvelous fact is that full-cut brilliants
with their beautiful arrangement of numerous facets are also cut to
such sizes, one hundred to the carat being not uncommon. The thicker
roses of twenty-four facets are also called " roses couronees " and the
six and twelve facet roses, cut chiefly in Antwerp, are known as "
roses d'Anvers."
Single
or eight-cut brilliants are used to some extent in the United States in
small sizes for cheap work. These are shaped like the brilliant, but
have eight side facets on top and eight on the bottom, running from the
girdle to the table and from the girdle to the culet. In a paper of
melee, the cut is not always observed, and though they are much less
sparkling when mounted in clusters than the full-cut, many do not learn
it until, after buying the jewel, it comes in comparison with the more
expensive jewel made of the full cut brilliant stones.
Of
late, in response to a demand for novel effects, many diamonds of the
finer qualities have been cut square, marquise, pear-shape and
heart-shape. Most of them are cut after the brilliant order of
faceting, but some of the square stones are^ut with straight parallel
facets or " table-cut," similar to the usual cutting of emeralds. These
are not used for popular-priced jewels, but are confined to expensive
pieces for a class who do not regard cost. Among the novelties in
cutting introduced during the last decade, one only attracted wide
attention. It was patented by a New York importer and for a time it
appeared possible that the form might become permanent. It is known as
the " twentieth-century " cut. The diamond is cut round, but the side
outline shows a
shoulder above the girdle and the pavilion is somewhat 9
