A closer look at the diamond cutting process
The process of cutting diamond requires tremendous skill and heaps of patience to achieve the perfect shape and sparkle. Some companies use state of the art technology, while others still prefer the traditional way.
One thing’s for sure, all diamond manufacturers employ the use of a diamond scaif—a disk that has oil and diamond dust on its surface. The more it’s used, the more diamond dust particles it accumulates. The reason why diamond dust is needed for this machine is because only a diamond can cut another diamond besides a laser.
So, how are they cut exactly? Let’s look at the process on how they’re cut:
Mapping and planning
The initial stage is to place the rough diamond in a 3D mapping machine to accurately measure the dimensions of the gem. Once it’s mapped, the manufacturer then starts to decide on the shape of the diamond as well as its size. Sometimes, they cut two small diamonds from a single rough diamond.
They also consider other factors during the planning stage like popularity and carat weight. For instance, if radiant cut engagement rings are in demand, the manufacturers will produce radiant cut diamonds.
Cleaving or sawing
If the rough diamond is huge in size, the manufacturers will cut it into separate pieces with the use of a laser, diamond bladed saw and a cleaver. The pieces will then be worked on separately by cutters to avoid wasting valuable resources.
Bruiting
In this stage, the manufacturer turns the separated pieces into its predetermined shape and size. This is done by turning two diamonds against each other with each rotating the opposite way. Both diamonds will have a perfect shape and a nice faceted girdle at the end of this stage.
Polishing
This is where the diamond is placed on a diamond scaif to smoothen the main facets of the diamond as well as to bring out its specific shape. In short, this is the finalisation of the whole cutting process. The polisher ensures that the weight and sparkle of the diamond won’t be affected greatly as the stage progresses.
The final product will look like this:
The process of cutting diamonds may seem simple and easy, but in reality, it’s a much more complicated process that requires your utmost attention to even the tiniest of details. One slip and you’ll find yourself with a ruined diamond.
So, cheers to the people responsible for the diamonds’ sparkle!
What do you think of the whole process? Let us know in the comments!
