Garnet Gemstone Varieties

June 20, 2019

The types of each gemstone is varied by its mine, natural clarity and its cut. The unprocessed stones that are straight out from the mine are called rough stones. Each stone is born with a character with its natural color and inclusions inside of them. The cut names of the gem can refer to both the shape of the finished gem, or the shape and arrangement of the gem’s facets which is called facet cut.The right choice of facet cut and shape is crucial in reflecting the best color harmony to our eyes. The color and clarity of each stone can be naturally enhanced with the correct choice of cutting style.When it comes to decision making for a jewelry model the main rule is to keep in mind that the design of the model plays a great role in finding the correct choices of the aspects mentioned above. Afterall a great model is one with the best possible combination of the “correct” cut, clarity and color.Below we will talk about the type of facet cuts are used in Garnet jewelry, and how they should be chosen correctly for the right model.

Star Cut

Taking its name from the vertical curve on top of the stone, Star Cut is a powerful tool for small-sized stones (<3mm). It is very useful to enhance the models with high number of stones with small sizes because it provides a unique harmony in clarity when high number of star-cut stones are mounted closely in one model.

Diamond Cut

This is usually the best choice of facet cut for the simple reason that it allows the deepest sight into the stones heart. You can see deeper into the stone which reveals the true nature of the stone along with its movements towards light. But it also reveals the “imperfections” of the stone which makes it a bad choice for the lesser quality of stones. Diamond cut is only good for the highest (almost perfect) quality of stones which in the world of jewelry is a rare case.

Checkerboard

Checkerboard is a very unique type of facet cut and it is mainly used for bigger sized stones. It is best reflected in round and oval stone shapes simply because these shapes provide better color look when used with Checkerboard. Checkerboard’s main aspect is that it gives different levels of clarity when looked from different angles, and it has a beautiful facet design.

Cabachon

Cabachon cut is a facetless type of cut, it has one soft round-shaped facet that reveals a unique look into the heart of the stone. The main aspect of it isn’t the clarity, but the softness it gives to the overall design. It is best used with brighter coloured stones, only if the stone doesn’t have an inclusion because of its transparency it would almost look like its a broken stone.