The first guild of diamond cutters and polishers (diamantaire) was formed 1375 in Nuremberg, Germany, and led to the development of various types of 'Cut'. This has two meanings in relation to diamonds. The first is the shape: round, oval and so on.
The second relates to the specific quality of cut within the shape, and the quality and price will vary greatly based on the cut quality. Since diamonds are very hard to cut, special diamond bladed edges are used to cut them.
The first major development in diamond cutting came with the "Point Cut" during the latter half of the 14th century. The Point Cut follows the natural shape of an octahedron shaped raw diamond, eliminating waste in the cutting process.
Diamond cutting is the art, skill and, increasingly, science of changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Cutting diamond requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme hardness.
Diamond manufacturers analyze diamond rough from an economic perspective, with two objectives steering decisions made about how a faceted diamond will be cut.
The first objective is that of maximum return on investment for the piece of diamond rough. The second is how quickly the finished diamond can be sold.
Scanning devices are used to get 3-dimensional computer model of the rough stone. Also, inclusions are photographed and placed on the 3D model, which is then used to find an optimal way to cut the stone.
