What Is Used To Cut Diamonds?
Besides being one of the most precious gems, a diamond is one of the hardest materials on Earth. Still, it has to be cut and shaped into a faceted gem suitable for jewelry. So, what is used to cut diamonds?
Generally, a diamond is cut using specialized tools that exploit its structural weakness. The process requires expert knowledge, professional equipment, and specialized techniques. Often, tiny or flawed diamonds are recycled and used to cut larger diamonds. These larger diamonds can be used to form jewelry such as rings and necklaces.
Diamond Cutting Process
Before discussing what is used to cut a diamond, let's review the entire cutting process. It includes these steps:
- Planning and marking
- Cleaving or sawing the rough stone
- Bruting the girdle
- Polishing
- Final inspection
What is Used To Cut Diamonds?
Using Diamonds To Cut Other Diamonds
The oldest method still used today is cutting diamonds with other diamonds. Given that only a few substances are harder than a diamond, cutters utilize a special saw implanted with tiny diamonds. This saw is directed at the tetrahedral plane, the crystal's weakest point.
The disadvantage of this technique is that a slight mistake can shatter the stone. As a result, the precious gem's value can drop from thousands of dollars to worthless.
Apart from using a saw, cutters use diamond grinders for single-cut diamonds.
Cutting Diamonds With a Laser
The present-day technique of cutting diamonds is laser technology. With high precision, a laser beam splits diamonds in only two passes. Cutting diamonds with this level of precision results in a more accurate cut than a saw.
What Happens After Cutting A Diamond?
After making the initial cut, the cutter uses a rotating disk or lasers to make it easier to work with the gem. Subsequently, the stone undergoes polishing into a final form, with smooth facets. Diamond cutters go through these steps meticulously until they consider the stone a perfect cut.
If you want to learn more about what is used to cut diamonds, contact Scott & Co. Fine Jewelers.