Gemstone Cuts & Shapes Guide
Explore the different styles of cutting and how they interact with light, color, and durability.
Gemstone cuts and shapes
Gemstone Cuts & Shapes Guide
Understand facet arrangements, proportions, symmetry, and how cutting affects colored gemstone value.
Shape vs. Cutting Style
Shape refers to the face-up outline (Round, Oval, Cushion). Cutting style refers to facet arrangement (Brilliant, Step, Mixed, Cabochon).
Gemstone Anatomy
A gemstone's cut consists of the table (flat top), crown (top half), girdle (the edge), pavilion (bottom half), and culet (bottom point). A cut that is too deep creates dark extinction, while a cut that is too shallow creates a pale window.
Match a Cut to Your Priorities
The interactive priorities tool lets you weigh maximizing color, maximizing brilliance, protecting from wear, face-up size spread, vintage character, and preserving rare material to generate tailored cutting advice.