That final flash of brilliant white light contained in each and every diamond, big and small, starts out hidden in a rather ugly pebble.Big diamonds are often cut into smaller ones because there are imperfections in the original, rough stone. This is known as cleaving, and all stone masons know how to read stones. This includes every existing mason through the centuries between the ancient Egyptians, and the modern-day stone masons who build our fireplaces.
Each rough diamond is examined, and an expert can simply “see” the shape of the final stone: pear cut, emerald cut, oval cut, and so on. Each stone is cut to its most complimentary shape to bring out the most fire in its heart.
All stones are cleaved along stress lines created by the natural processes that made the stone, or stress lines created by mining or manufacturing processes. Sometimes larger stones are cleaved because of accidents in faceting, so great care must be taken in all steps of the process to ensure a monster diamond isn’t flawed at any point.
A high-powered laser burns a small line around the rough stone to guide the saw. Computer-controlled grinders then take off large portions of the stone to find that inner gem. After the original, larger diamond is cleaved into several smaller ones, each is ground down and faceted into even smaller, more perfect stones. These workmen who put the finishing touches on the diamonds are known as “brillianteers.”
It’s a long process between mining a diamond and setting it into a ring. While computers and milling machines do the rough cuts, the final facets are perfected by the brillianteers. As the brillianteers work their magic, they grind away portions of the roughly shaped stone to give it its final shape and make the final facets. They also check how the light reflects through the stone.
Large diamonds, colored diamonds and fancy-shaped diamonds are part of the newest jewelry trends seen in Hollywood and available in designer collections today. As you search for that perfect diamond that embodies your personality and flair, keep in mind the immense stone from which it originally came from, and the hours of skilled labor required to make it your own treasure!
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