Understanding Gemstone Cuts and Shapes

A gemstone’s cut determines how it captures and reflects light. Faceted cuts like oval, cushion, and emerald-cut maximize brilliance and fire, each with a distinct personality — ovals elongate the finger, cushions soften corners, and emerald cuts showcase clarity with broad, mirror-like facets.

Cabochons, by contrast, are polished into smooth domes rather than faceted. This cut is favored for stones prized for their color or optical effects, like moonstone’s glowing adularescence, rather than sparkle.

The right cut balances the rough stone’s natural shape with the brilliance the cutter wants to achieve — often the difference between a good stone and an extraordinary one.