Portuguese cut. 160+ facets in a round or near-round outline. Produces dense, overlapping starburst brilliance that performs in low light where a standard round brilliant dims. Check the symmetry — uneven facet alignment collapses the optical effect immediately.
Moval cut. A modern hybrid between an oval and a marquise, with an elongated outline and softly pointed tips. Length-to-width ratio typically 1.4–1.6. Check for a bow-tie shadow across the centre under direct light; any visible bow-tie is a cutting flaw and a reason to walk away.
Vocabulary is the slow path into looking properly.
Ashoka cut. A rectangular outline with rounded corners, 62 facets in a criss-cut weave. Produces a soft, sustained luminescence rather than discrete sparks. Check that the four corners arc identically; uneven corners are the cut's most visible flaw.
Dutch Marquise. A marquise outline filled with step-cut facets — long parallel planes — rather than brilliant scintillation. Sculptural rather than sparkly. Check the keel line (the bottom ridge running along the length); it should be perfectly straight, not wavy or off-centre.
Old Mine cut. The pre-industrial cushion-outline cut, 58 facets, high crown, small table, open culet. Cut for candlelight; reads as warm and fiery rather than bright. Check for the culet — the small flat facet at the bottom point. Modern reproductions often eliminate it; authentic Old Mine geometry retains it.
Elongated Hexagon. A six-sided outline with step-cut facets. The most architectural of the rare cuts; produces mirror flashes from broad parallel planes rather than scintillation. Check the parallel sides — the two long sides should be exactly equal in length, and the four short sides should be identical to each other.