A Glossary of Rare Cuts
Six cuts. What each one is, what defines it optically, and one thing to check before you buy.
A round brilliant with 160 or more facets — nearly three times the facet count of a standard brilliant. The additional facets produce dense, overlapping light return rather than distinct scintillation flashes. Designed for low, directional, warm light.
The original brilliant, developed before electric light, for candlelight and oil lamps. High crown, small table, open culet, approximately 58 facets in an imperfect cushion-square silhouette. The irregularity is hand-finished character, not manufacturing deficiency.
An elongated cushion with a criss-cut faceting pattern — facets that cross each other in a weave rather than aligning in rows. Produces soft, diffused light return rather than direct reflection. 62 facets.
A marquise with a broader, shorter silhouette than the modern marquise — length-to-width ratio of 1.6 to 1.7, step-brilliant hybrid faceting. An antique-inspired interpretation rather than a formally standardised category.
A hybrid of oval and marquise: the continuous curve of an oval tapering to a soft point at each end. Brilliant-cut faceting. Eliminates sharp marquise tips while preserving directional elongation.
A hexagon extended along one axis, with step-cut faceting. Returns light in broad, rectangular planes — the hall-of-mirrors effect that reveals the interior of the stone rather than dispersing light outward.