A perspective on cut Getting more sparkle with better facet definition By Mike Botha A 62 t last September’s JCK Toronto, a retailer friend of mine asked why some diamonds exhibit better light return than others of similar colour and clarity. I told him quite simply that it is all angles to maximize brilliance and scintillation. If facets are not indexed properly, the diamond suffers a ‘washed-out’ effect, akin to clothes with patterns having gone through the wash too many times—faded patterns lose their definition. I explained that in the process of digging and painting facets on a diamond (more about this later), polishers often compromise radial position and facet angles to help gain extra weight or improve clarity. The result is a diamond with poorly defined facets, thereby reducing brilliance and scintillation. in the cut, further explaining factors such as proportion, symmetry, finish, and facet definition. It was clear from what followed that he understood the first three components of cut. However, facet definition required clarification. briefly, facet definition refers to well-defined facets cut at appropriate Jewellery Business ❘ February 2010 ©Image from BigStockPhoto.com