Balanced diamond cuts, a gem setter’s dream

Diamond & gem setters are always challenged with plenty of obstacles during their daily work which spans over numerous and various setting techniques and processes. One of the most painstaking issues is the fitting of the diamonds into their actual designed places and positions.

Diamonds and gems are tiny three dimensional statuettes. Each individual diamond possesses its own body-form, even most diamonds cut to a match will have slightly different proportions which are enough to cause a setter headaches. Properly balanced diamond cuts are a challenge since they have upsides and downsides.

On the upside, such diamonds are ideal for setters to work with as there are less challenges or adjustments during the setting process. The diamonds are cut to proper proportions and therefore more efficient to set.

On the downside are the diamond manufacturers/cutters. By historic default, diamond cutters primary interests is to prioritize weight retention as every point (0.01 carat) usually carries a hefty value. This means that cutting properly balanced diamonds has its toll, more loss of valuable rough, hence a higher price for less carats and extra labor time.

Just to elaborate, weight retention (e.g. heavier the diamond) translates into more problems and issues for the diamond setting process. Any weight saving techniques within the cutting process will complicate the setting process and will require excess time forcing fitting deformations of the final jewel design and its flow

Lets go over a few general signs that will disturb the setter’s craft:

Unbalanced girdles

Unfortunately a large portion of diamonds possess uneven & unbalanced girdles, this is much more common with fancy shaped diamonds as a matter of fact. Diamonds which are forcibly set can negatively disturb the flow of design.

Another issue is girdle thickness, thicker girdles will preserve diamond weight but again force setters to spend more time and alter original setting plans and objectives.

Bulging pavilions

Three exclusive and major diamond faceting designs that share this common issue, *the step-cut and modified brilliants for both *colorless and a majority of *fancy colored diamond cuts which overly abuse this practice regularly.

Step-cut faceting easily allows the contour of the first pavilion step facets (just below the girdle) to be cut at overly steep angles allowing significant weight retention thus creating bulging pavilion. This by the way also limits proper light return reflected back to its viewer.

Modified colorless brilliants also regularly apply by design steeped pavilion facets just below the girdle, and this practice is strictly for economic reasons and less for optical ones.

Fancy colored diamond cuts mostly require a bulging pavilion area just below the girdle to maximize color retention areas which then internally reflect enhancing face-up coloring.

Overly bulged pavilions are a setters nightmare, this will force setters to dig into the metal creating proper space to fit such bulging pavilions. Such overly digging can risk the construction of the jewel.

Uneven facets and contour shapes.

A lot of fancy cut diamonds will possess uneven facet slopes and angles both on the crowns and pavilions, such will cause setting issues both with prong set designs and the housing spaces for the pavilions. Shapes…, again, most curved shapes (e.g. pear shapes, ovals etc…) will possess slightly different curvatures which will affect the way such cuts are set in their jewels.

Misunderstandings between diamantaires & setters

When it comes to (non-round) fancy shapes, more than often setters are given diamonds which are selected by diamantaires who have limited knowledge of the physical fitting requirements (e.g. measurements & proportions), setters then have to manipulate such diamonds into the designed jewel. A main cause of inefficiency at large.