Cutting the ideal-coloured gemstone differs a lot from the ideal cut for a diamond as there are many things to take into consideration. Ideal proportions and cutting techniques vary from stones to stone and here we try to give a brief overview of a few things to be aware of.

The skill of the coloured gemstone cutter is to bring out the best colour, disguise the inclusions if there are any and give the stone as much brilliance as possible.

One of the aspects of getting the best colour is taking into consideration the dichroism in the crystal. Tourmalines are much darker when looked down the length of the crystals, so they are cut parallel to the length of the crystal so as to get the lighter aspect. With Aquamarine it is the opposite way round as the cutter will want to get the most saturated colour. Dichroism is also a major factor with Tanzanite and the heating process reduces the trichroic colours to dichroic colours. The heating can be anticipated so accurately that the stones can be preformed before heating.

Many coloured stones can be cut in a ‘diamond cut’. Smaller stones (up to around 4mm) in high quality look great in diamond cut, however stones over 4mm can have a ‘fake’ or slightly synthetic appearance. Coloured stones tend to have a larger ‘belly’ on them, which allows them to maintain their brilliance due to the refractive angles in the stone. Diamonds and coloured stone mounts differ as Diamonds are cut with sharp angles on the pavilion and the mounts will not accommodate a coloured stone with a deep pavilion, therefore shallower coloured stones are often requested, however, they often do not have the same brilliance.

Whilst this only touches on a few areas where the cutting process is inseparable with colour, I hope it will allow you to consider the complexities that surround cutting each stone for you to look at the very best vibrant colours that we have for you in store.