Early history
The origins of lapidary (gemstone cutting) presumably date back to India in 2,300 BC. The term ‘manikyam’, which means ball or pearl, first appears in the writings of this period. This suggests that gemstones were already being processed into pearls at that time.
In the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, lapidaries also used basic techniques such as splitting and cutting to shape gemstones. These early techniques, which lasted until the 14th century, were extremely tedious and time-consuming. The lapidaries worked with simple tools such as copper discs and grinding and polishing powders. The rough surface of the gemstones was removed by grinding until a round shape was created - this is how the cabochon cut was developed, which is considered the oldest type of cut in history and is still used today.
Turning point in the 14th century
From the early 14th century, the invention of the diamond cutting disc marked a revolution in the history of lapidary. This innovation made precise cuts possible, allowing gemstones to be worked into a variety of shapes. The emergence of the so-called facet cut goes back to the processing of rough diamonds, which already reach the surface in octahedral prisms.
These facets are cut using a wooden board with holes, the perforated board, mounted to the side of the turning disc and a round wooden rod, the so-called putty stick. Depending on the required angle, the putty stick is inserted into the holes in the board to form the facets on the top and bottom (also known as the crown and pavilion) of the gemstone. One of the earliest known types of cut is the step cut. It was established through the processing of emeralds, as it proved to be useful due to their naturally occurring corners. This is why it is often referred to as the emerald cut. Other early known cuts are the rose and table cut. The facet cut quickly became the favoured method for transparent gemstones, while the cabochon cut remained popular for opaque gemstones or those with value-reducing inclusions.
At the end of the 14th century, Idar-Oberstein, the home of gemhype, developed into the centre of gemstone cutting in Germany. You can find more information on the history of Idar-Oberstein in our blog post: ‘Idar-Oberstein - The capital of gemstones’.
The path to modernity
The processing of diamonds laid the foundation for the timeless brilliant cut, which was first realised in the late 19th or early 20th century thanks to new cutting and polishing techniques and precision tools. This was developed in several stages, with more and more additional facets, which at some point created the brilliance we are familiar with today.
Over the course of the 20th century, technological progress modernised gemstone processing. Faceting machines were developed which, with the help of a so-called quadrant, allow the angle for cutting to be set precisely using a digital display and a mechanical wheel. In addition, methods such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) now enable greater precision when cutting and reduce material loss at the same time. Despite these advances, the traditional art of cutting with a perforated board and putty stick still remains.
Nowadays, there are a variety of different cutting patterns. Newer variations such as the fancy cut or the princess and heart shape show that the art of cutting is constantly evolving. There are no limits to the creativity of cutters, leading to the creation of numerous unique cuts, which are known as fantasy cuts. The Munsteiner studio in Idar-Oberstein is regarded as the birthplace of this special cutting pattern in Germany.
You are interested in the exact procedure for cutting a gemstone?
Read our blog post ‘Cutting process of our gemstones at HC Arnoldi’!
Book: Edelsteine und Schmucksteine, Autor: Walter Schumann, Auflage: 2020
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