What is a diamond?

A diamond is a crystalline mineral consisting of carbon in its most pure form. They are created deep within the Earth and brought to the surface by a series of geological events.
Diamonds form under the Earths crust about 150-200km beneath the surface and are brought up to the surface by volcanic activity. The magma from the lower mantle in the Earth carries the diamonds upward to be emplaced near the surface. After a volcano has ceased its activity and cooled and the upper part is worn away by erosion and weather, the diamonds within are exposed.

How does a rough stone become a gem quality piece?

There are 3 general steps to produce a gem quality diamond. They are Planning, Preparing/Shaping and Polishing. The planning stage involves examining the rough stone to identify any inclusions and the direction of the grain. This information is critical as it is used for the cutting and polishing stages. Once examined a decision needs to be made on the design of the stone. These days computers will map out and draw what can be achieved from the rough stone. After determining the shape and design a Master Cutter will cleave the diamond along the grain and use a diamond coated saw to saw the diamond across the grain. This will give you the basic shape of the finished product. Polishing the stone is the final step. These days most stones are polished by automatic equipment but a lot of stones are still polished by hand using polishing wheels.

Type of cuts

There are literally hundreds of different ways to cut a diamond. These days you can get shapes as diverse as horses heads, rose, half moon and lily. The more common modern shapes are as follows: