What Is So Special About LVIII?

LVIII is the roman numeral of 58 (we just couldn’t help the clickbait headline, apologies!)…

What then is so special about LVIII? The answer is the brilliant cut. It is by far the most popular diamond cut, prized for its unmatched sparkle and timeless appeal. Aaand, the magic number is… 58!

As we all should know by now, different diamond cuts have varying facet counts and arrangements, each designed to enhance the diamond’s unique characteristics.

The standard round brilliant diamond typically has 58 facets, while other shapes like the Princess cut can have anywhere from 58 to 144 facets. The precision and arrangement of these facets are critical to a diamond’s visual appeal.

Facets, remember, are those flat, polished surfaces on a diamond that play a crucial role in the diamond’s interaction with light. These are cut and polished to exact angles with great care, to maximize the diamond’s brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

The different facets of a diamond:

Table: This is the flat, topmost surface area of a diamond. It’s the largest facet and plays a crucial role in how light enters and exits the diamond, contributing to its sparkle.
Crown: The section above the girdle, surrounding the table. It consists of various facets that disperse light, adding to the diamond’s fire.
Girdle: The widest part of the diamond, forming the outer edge where the crown and pavilion meet. It can affect the diamond’s cut grade if it’s too thick or thin.
Pavilion: The lower portion of the diamond, extending from the girdle down to the culet. Its angles are essential for the proper reflection of light within the diamond.
Culet: The tiny little small facet at the very bottom of the diamond. A well-cut culet should be proportionate to avoid negatively impacting the diamond’s appearance.

These conspire behind the scenes to work together to create the brilliance and fire that diamonds are known for.

The concept of faceting diamonds to enhance their brilliance began in India many many moons ago, where diamonds were first mined around the 4th century BC. The earliest cuts were rudimentary and aimed at preserving as much of the stone or crystal as possible. That’s where it began, really – the long journey to brilliance. The brilliant cut for round diamonds has evolved over centuries, with each advancement aimed at increasing the diamond’s ability to reflect and refract light, thus enhancing its overall beauty and allure.

Then, along came Marcel Tolkowsky. He was an engineer and mathematician from Belgium who combined his family’s experience in diamond cutting with his academic studies to create the ideal proportions for a diamond to maximize its brilliance. In 1919, Tolkowsky published his famous thesis which outlined the mathematical formula for the round brilliant cut. His calculations showed that if a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow, light would escape from the sides or bottom, reducing its sparkle.

Tolkowsky’s work on the round brilliant cut has had a lasting impact on the diamond industry, setting the benchmark for how diamonds are cut to achieve maximum light reflection and sparkle. It has become the industry standard and is widely considered to be the ideal cut for diamonds.

Diamond cutting reports issued by all reputable grading laboratories like GIA, EGL, IGI and others will clearly state their comments about the cut grade, symmetry and proportions of a particular stone. Look out for that. Or visit us & we’ll show you!