Cutting Diamonds

Ever wondered how the diamonds get from the ground to the jewelry store? Well, they do not just pop out of the ground and instantly get there. There is an entire process that they have to go through in order to make sure that everything turns out as pretty as the customer wants them to look. There are special techniques that are used to cut the diamonds in order to make them more appealing to the jeweler and the customer. Do you know what these diamond cutting techniques are? The following are four parts of the cutting process. If you enjoy looking at diamonds then you might enjoy learning about this process as much.

Cleaving

A rough diamond will generally need to become more manageable. This means that the cutter will have to cleave it along the diamond’s weakest point. They will use a wax or cement mold to hold the diamond in place while the cutter makes a sharp groove. Then a steel blade will be put within the groove and the cutter will hit the blade forcefully. This will then cut the rougher diamond into two pieces.

Sawing

There is a time when diamonds have to be cut where there is no weakness. This cannot be done with the normal cleaving process. A blade that rotates around 15,000 rpm will be used. This could also be done using lasers, but that takes hours to do. During sawing the cutter has to decide which part of the diamond will be the flat top and which will be the outside rim. Once he has that figured out he starts cutting.

Cutting

This part can also be called Bruiting. This is the part that gives the diamonds their shape. Bruiting means the process is done by hand, while cutting means it is done by a machine. During cutting the cutter actually uses the hardness of the diamond to their advantage. Diamonds actually cut diamonds. A cement filled bowled will hold the tip of the diamond, and then will rub the different parts of the diamonds together. This is also how it gets its rough finish.

Polishing

Polishing makes sure that this new great diamond gets a finished look that it deserves. The cutter will place it onto an arm that is above the polishing wheel. The wheel will be coated with a diamond power that will help smooth it when it is pressed against the wheel. Then it is all ready to be send out to be placed in jewelry for whoever wants it.