Corresponding facets (pavilion facets) are now cut below the girdle; then eight star facets follow, these being triangular in sliape and pointed downwards from the octagonal sides of the table. Sixteen split facets are now made, these also being triangular in shape and their base being the girdle. There are now 33 facets —one table, eight bezel, eight star, and 16 split facets—which form the upper part of the full cut brilliant. As we have already noted, other names are sometimes applied to these facets.

The culet, collet, or culasse is the small facet made by the flattening of the sharp point on the bottom of the stone; this is now seldom seen in modern cut gems. Eight pavilions and quoins, and 16 split facets beneath the girdle are cut absolutely beneath, and corresponding to, those on the upper portion of the stone, although their length depends upon the individual specimen in hand. This completes the cutting, the finished stone now having 57 facets.

This brilliant cut brings out the “fire” in the stone, causes the light to be flashed back to the eye, and at the same time retains as much weight as possible. The stone is ready to be used in any form of jewelry, and its beauty will remain indefinitely. Repolishing of the facets may be advisable after much use, although with diamond this is very rarely necessary. It is of advantage, however, to keep the back of the stone quite clean in its setting and to remove any dirt or grease which inevitably collects in course of wear.

The rose cut is characteristic of very small, or poor quality, diamonds. It may be used on small fragments resulting from cleaving and sawing operations. Such small diamonds are often called “roses.” In this form, the base is flat, and this is often the cleavage plane; the top is curved, convex in shape, and this is covered with small facets up to 24 in number. There may be only five or seven facets in very small stones, while in others disproportionate faces may be seen. Badly cut roses of poor quality material are quite common, and they are often used in conjunction with brilliants in medium priced jewelry. The value of rose diamonds is, of course, far below that of the properly cut stone.

Generally, the colors of natural stones remain a permanent quality, but there are some which fade in time although they have not been artificially treated. Blue zircons, yellow and blue topaz, amethyst, and rose quartz are among those that will fade in strong sunlight or in course of ordinary wear. White zircons sometimes change to a dirty gray or brownish color, which was no doubt their original color before they were heated. Opals also should not be put in the strong sunlight, otherwise they might develop faults and lose some of their color, for this stone contains by nature an appreciable percentage of water.

The thickness of the crown should be one-third of the total thickness of the stone, and the table should be about four-ninths of the breadth of the stone. These proportions are based on the optical properties of the diamond, and it will be seen that a considerable amount of care and patience will be required to cut a given stone, which is generally quite small, to these specifications.

With other transparent stones, the facets are somewhat modified if cut in this form, and their number and inclination to each other will depend upon the individual optical properties of the specimen. Such stones as white zircon, white topaz, and white sapphire usually have fewer facets than the diamond. Sapphire and ruby are often brilliant cut, but usually without the full number of facets also. Emerald is seldom seen in brilliant form, since its color dispersion is low, and the trap cut brings out its color to better advantage.

We will now recapitulate the various facets of the brilliant form of cutting in the order of manufacture. First, a facet is cut which slopes from the table to the girdle. This is the bezel facet. Opposite this, another is cut, and a further two similar facets makes the table square in shape. Four more bezel facets follow, which makes the table octagonal.