Category: Diamond

A guide to the Swiss-cut style of diamond cut.

Swiss-cut diamonds appear from time to time in second-hand jewellery. In addition, through our work at Serendipity Diamonds, we occasionally see Swiss cuts in antique jewellery items submitted for repair, ring remodelling and refinishing.

In yesterday’s blog, we talked about single-cut diamonds, compared to full-cut diamonds. Think of a Swiss-cut as a hybrid between both of these.

The following facet diagram shows the arrangements of facets on a Swiss-cut and reveals the similarity between single-cut diamonds and modern round brilliant-cut diamonds.

The evolution of the Swiss-cut

The Swiss cut evolved from double-cut diamonds originating in the early 1600s. Most double-cut diamonds have 34 facets: 16 facets on the crown and 16 facets on the pavilion in addition to the table and culet. The Swiss-cut evolved with a shallower pavilion. As a result, internal reflection improved, and the culet size reduced.

Replacing a Swiss-cut diamond in jewellery

Missing diamonds of this cut are tough to replace. Most jewellers add a modern brilliant-cut or an 8-cut diamond in place. But, the brilliance does not match the existing diamonds. Therefore, swiss-cut diamonds can be tough to replace. For this reason, I advised the owner of the ring in the main image to be very careful. Set with 3 diamonds of this design, it would be near impossible to source matching diamonds if one became lost.

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The post What are Swiss-Cut Diamonds? Swiss-Cuts Compared to Brilliant Cuts. appeared first on Serendipity Diamonds Blog.

As children, we often have elaborate dreams about our wedding day… We dream about a picturesque wedding scape, a dreamy partner, and a wedding dress that could stop traffic in Times Square. 

Identifying the Difference Between 8-cut Diamonds and Full-Cut Diamonds

The majority of small round diamonds fall within two different diamond cuts.

The term ‘Single-Cut Diamond’ or ‘8-Cut Diamond’ (as they are otherwise called) refers to one of these diamond cuts.

Full-cut diamonds are the other type.

If you own any item of jewellery with tiny diamonds, the chances are your item will feature one of these diamond cuts.

But what is the difference between a single-cut (or 8-cut) diamond and a fully-cut diamond? The difference lies in the style and number of facets featured on the diamond.

Single-cut diamonds feature an arrangement of 16 facets—a simpler cut compared to full-cut diamonds. By comparison, full-cut diamonds have 57 facets. Moreover, they display a greater sparkle for this reason.

The following diagram shows both cuts compared.

Why use two different diamond cuts?

You might ask why cutters would create two different diamond cuts: both round but one with more sparkle. Simply put, single-cut diamond were less expensive. In addition, the simpler faceted arrangement made them cheaper to produce. But today, full-cut diamonds are more common. To explain, diamond cutters sell fully-cut diamonds for a higher price per carat. As a result, they make more money cutting rough diamonds with 57 facets. As a result, full-cuts are a more popular choice for diamond producers. At the same time, they offer jewellers more sparkle.

Single-cut diamonds still exist. In fact, we use 8-cut diamonds in existing jewellery designs (including the earring design above). A limitation to 8-cuts is the maximum size of a diamond. They are rarely cut in sizes above 1.5mm in diameter. By comparison, full-cut diamonds come in all sizes from 1mm upwards.

Replacement Single-Cut Diamonds.

Suppose you are looking for a replacement single-cut diamond. Or, a replacement full-cut diamond, we offer this service. From modern cut diamonds to Old-Cut Diamonds, we regularly match-up replacements for missing diamonds. Contact a member of our team for more help and guidance on this service.

Don’t forget to read our information page on where to buy small diamonds which includes plenty of information on this service.

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