FORMS OF CUTTING 77 



or shortened (Fig. 7 a, b, c). The outline of the girdle may approach that of a square, as in 

 the figure, or it may be oblong. This form of cutting is peculiarly adapted to stones of an 

 elongated shape, and it brings out their lustre to a marked degree ; the elongated brilliant 

 facets seem to compensate for any lack of depth in the lower portion of the stone. Another 

 similar form is that known as the Maltese cross (Fig. 8 a, b, c), so called from the ci-uciform 

 arrangement of its facets. Other similar forms exist, differing but slightly from those 

 already described ; a detailed account of these is therefore unnecessary. 



.'5. Table-cut. — This term includes a number of forms, all of which are more or 

 less related to, and may be derived from, a four-sided double pyramid or regular octahedron. 

 This octahedral form is the natural crystalline form of many diamonds, and it may 

 sometimes be seen in the stones of jewellery which dates back to the time when no cutting 

 of the rough stones was attempted, but the preparation of the stones for ornamental purposes 

 was confined to the polishing of the natural faces of the crystals. Such stones date back to 

 very ancient times, and are known as point-stones. The table-cut, and other forms related 

 to it, are derived from the octahedron by the greater or less truncation of two opposite 

 corners (Plate IV., Figs 11 to 16) ; a few additional facets may be given to the upper portion 

 of the stone (Figs. 11, 13, 14, 16). 



The typical table-stone is derived from an octahedron by cutting two opposite 

 corners to an equal amount. The upper and lower portions of the stone are then 

 exact replicas the one of the other, and the table is of the same size and shape as the 

 culet, the outline of which may be either square or oblong. Fig. 15 b shows a view from 

 above of a square table-stone, and Plate XIV., Fig. 2, shows an epidote cut as an 

 elongated table-stone. This form of cutting is not, as a rule, specially effective ; it is, 

 however, advantageously used for several coloured stones, including the emerald. The 

 effect of additional facets on the upper portion is to increase the brilliancy and lustre 

 of the stone. With this object in view, the four edges of the table may be replaced 

 by narrow facets (Fig. 11 a, b), or the four edges between the pyramidal facets may be 

 more or Jess truncated so that the table becomes eight-sided (Fig. 16 b). Again, the 

 upper portion may be of the brilliant form (Fig. 14 a, b), though the arrangement of the 

 facets in a typical brilliant need not be exactly reproduced. 



The two opposite corners of the octahedron may be truncated to a greater or less 

 degree. In the former case the result will be quite a thin table, which is known as a 

 thin-stone. This can be modified by the addition of further facets in the manner described 

 for table-stones (Figs. 12 a, 13 b). A table-stone in which the culet is larger than the table 

 is described as half- grounded, while one in which the reverse relation holds is known as a 

 thick-stone. Such stones, in which the table is usually double the size 

 of the culet, are described as Indian-cut, and many precious stones 

 from the Orient, and especially from India, are of this form ; they 

 are usually re-cut in Europe into a more effective form. The thick- 

 stone is, in a way, as already explained, the ground form of the 

 brilliant ; all the modifications described for table-stones may be applied 

 equally well to thick-stones. 



4. Rosette or Rose -cut. — In this form of cutting the stone is ^^^ g^ Rosette 

 bounded on its underside by a single large and broad face, which forms (viewed from above). 

 a base to the whole. This form, which consists of an upper portion 

 only, the lower portion being entirely absent, is pyramidal in shape, the uppermost 

 facets meeting above to form a more or less sharp solid angle. A rose of the ordinary 

 type, as seen from above, is shown in Fig. 30, and Plate IV., Fig. 1' b. The facets 



