Gemstone Cutting
When evaluating a gemstone, it’s important to analyze the quality of the gemstone’s cut. The quality of the cut will determine how the light catches the gemstone and refracts the light. Ultimately, the goal is to maximize the gemstone’s brilliance by cutting the material in the most efficient way possible.
There are many ways in which a gemstone’s cut would be considered less than ideal. A couple of good examples would be:
Here at Paraiba International, we evaluate each of our gemstone’s cut. While there’s no official cut grading system for color stones, we’ve model our system after the GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) for diamonds.
The Cutting grades are:
- Excellent: The gemstone is cut to the ideal proportions and the brilliance of the material is maximized.
- Very Good: The gemstone is cut almost perfectly. There are minor areas that need improvement, but the overall face-up of the gemstone is very good.
- Good: The gemstone could use improvement. The overall face-up is good, but there are areas of the gemstone’s cut that need improvement that may be apparent to the naked eye.
- Fair: The gemstone’s cut need improvement. There are obvious cutting flaws that require re-polishing or re-cutting. The gemstone’s brilliance may be compromised.
- Poor: The gemstone needs to be re-cut. The gemstone does not have proper brilliance.