finished
stone as perfect and beautiful as possible. Machinery to increase the
accuracy of the facets was perfected in his shop, and he taught and
insisted on mathematical exactitude. His work was appreciated. The
public, seeing its superiority, began to insist upon having stones cut
and proportioned after his method, and European cutters were gradually
obliged to conform more and more to it. The result is that the
proportions of the American brilliant have been generally adopted,
though the finest and most exact cutting is still done in the United
States.
The
" brilliant"-cut diamond resembles two cones united at their bases, the
upper one truncated or cut off a short distance from the base, and the
lower one having the apex only cut off. The flat top is called the "
table." The rim where the cones unite is the " girdle." " Culet" is the
name given to the small flat facet at the bottom, " pavilion" or "
collet-side" to the entire lower portion from the girdle to the culet,
and "bizel" to the space between the table and the girdle. It will be
seen by referring to the drawings on Plate XII. that the proportions
have been changed somewhat in the last few years. One-third of the
depth of the stone above the girdle was considered best. It is less
now, and the change gives a sharper brilliancy to the stone and less
weight.
The
brilliant-cut has thirty-two facets above the girdle and twenty-four
below; in all, fifty-six, exclusive of the table and culet. To these
are sometimes added eight extra facets around the culet. The top facets
consist of eight triangular " star" facets, called top corner facets,
which abut on the table, eight main facets, whose points reach from
girdle to table, and sixteen split triangular facets, or " lower corner
facets," lying between the points of the main facets, with their bases
forming the edge of the girdle. Below the girdle are sixteen split
triangular or " upper corner on bottom" facets, to match those on top,
with eight main facets reaching below to the culet.
