Diamond or brilliant?

21 December 2017

The terms “brilliant” and “diamond” are often used as synonyms. Is this correct? Let’s clarify!

The diamond is the original material, while the brilliant refers to the specific cut consisting of 57 facets or 58 if the culet is present.

The brilliant-cut is used on different types of gemstones, so there are brilliant-cut rubies or emeralds. However, if we talk about brilliant without further specification, then we are talking about a brilliant-cut diamond. One of the most famous brilliant-cuts is the heart-shaped one, the most romantic, which has 59 facets.

There are also other types of diamond cuts, such as the rectangular baguette-cut with a flat upper part, which gets its name from the typical long, narrow French bread shape, and the princess-cut, which combines characteristics of the brilliant-cut with those of the step-cut. In fact, the crown in the latter is brilliant-cut, while the pavilion is step-cut. The upper part resembles a truncated pyramid with a square or rectangular base.

What other types of cuts do you know?