Inside the intricate craft of stone cutting: every high jewellery house fancies a different cut, from Graff’s love of geometry to Chopard’s chandelier earrings that feature briolette diamonds

Stone cutting is one of the most intricate crafts in jewellery making. The job of a cutter is to identify a gem’s imperfections and choose a cut that will maximise the 4Cs: cut, clarity, colour and carats. A good gem cutter can both minimise a stone’s flaws and enhance the intensity of its sparkle by strategically placing facets. Even the slightest mistake can impact the value and beauty of a stone. The value of a gemstone is not defined solely by its carats – recutting an old mine or vintage gem, while reducing its size, can enhance its value if it boosts the other 3Cs. The proportions of the stone – its table, crown, girdle, pavilion and culet – affect the light’s refraction, hence the sparkle’s intensity, as well. What’s Hong Kong’s jewellery sales outlook for 2023, after a shining 2022? While brilliant-cut diamonds may be the most popular choice for brides, and the first diamond for many, not all stones benefit from being cut into a round shape. In the case of sapphires, rubies and emeralds, identifying an optimal cut can significantly influence their colour, intensity, saturation and, ultimately, price. Jewellery using fancy-cut stones – stones that are not round – benefits from the unique aesthetics and refractive qualities of the said cut. Modern brilliant cuts have 58 facets, giving off an intense sparkle from all angles. Fancy shapes like emerald and Asscher cuts, with their chiselled-step facets, lend an air of art deco elegance to jewellery and accentuate the gem’s clarity. Hearts, marquees and pear shapes require exceptional symmetry but also bring an element of playfulness to designs. These are some of the most common fancy cuts favoured by jewellers today. Bling bust? Rolex is entering the second-hand market for the first time Graff favours playing with the geometry of different cuts: from gem-clad watches to statement necklaces, the house is expert at accentuating the beauty of its diamonds through careful choice at the design stage. The jeweller often adds another level of intricacy to its creations by building with different colours. Founder and designer Laurence Graff, who has a priceless arsenal of gemstones in his archives, can match stones of similar characteristics, size and colour together to create pieces offering exceptional symmetry in silhouette and hue. The Tribal collection, for instance, features alluring diamonds and yellow diamonds of varying cuts, including in a statement necklace sparkling with a total of 71.76 carats. Bidding buzz: Hong Kong’s most impressive high jewellery auctions of 2022 Ronald Abram captures the allure of fancy cuts in many of its creations. One of the signature looks from the brand is the classic emerald-cut ring flanked by step-cut stones. The design accentuates the clarity of the centre stone and – in the case of emeralds – their rich green hue. In a stunning yellow and white diamond necklace, large emerald-cut diamonds are surrounded by marquee-cut stones to create a sunburst effect. Bringing the two cuts together helps the necklace to sparkle from every angle as the stones are set at slightly different heights. French jewellery Messika created different cuts from a single 110-carat rough diamond to create the Akh-Ba-Ka necklace as part of its Beyond the Light high jewellery collection. The piece, inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, showcases 15 diamonds all cut from the same rough stone. At the centre is a 33-carat cushion-cut diamond suspended from a bird motif paved entirely in step-, triangle-, emerald- and baguette-cut stones. In total, 2,550 diamonds totalling 71.49 carats come together to form this scintillating masterpiece. Briolette cuts, invented in the 15th century, are pear-shaped beads set as a strand rather than a spot in a gold or platinum mount. They are popular accenting cuts and are often used in high jewellery today. Written in the stars: why do high jewellery brands find space so inspiring? Chopard’s Red Carpet high jewellery collection features some of the house’s most creative and audacious works. In the latest edition, Chopard uses briolette diamonds in several pieces, including in a pair of chandelier earrings that glow with 14.27 carats of yellow briolette diamonds. Just as important as the use of coloured gems, a jigsaw of different fancy shapes in a single piece of jewellery requires a house’s keen eye for design and symmetry or, in some cases, a good grasp of what makes asymmetry visually pleasing. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.