6 Special Diamond Cuts
Fine jewellers are moving from traditional cuts – princess, emerald, cushion and brilliant – to unconventional cuts to create unique masterpieces.
One such jeweller is Nirav Modi, who has patented several diamond cuts while designing his stunning pieces. Using innovative techniques, he is able to create visual masterpieces with his unique cuts. Ainra cut-diamonds, for example, are linked together directly without any gold or silver links in between. What surprised us when we tried on the bracelet was its fluidity and lightness, thanks to his innovative technique.
The founder of his eponymous brand was in Hong Kong earlier to celebrate the opening of his first store in the city at Elements mall. He tells STYLE about his inspiration and the beauty in these unique cuts.
Q: What inspired you to go beyond traditional cuts?
A: The normal person cannot see whether [a diamond cut] has 58 facets or 101 facets. For me, it makes no sense to make a special cut just for marketing. [My unique cuts] have a purpose. The Ainra cut has never been done before – it is beautiful and also functional.
Q: Tell us more about the Endless Cut. I heard it was inspired by Hong Kong.
A: I used to work in Hong Kong 25 years ago. I saw that the most valuable jewellery a taitai [in Hong Kong] had was a jade ring. Being an Indian who had been living in Belgium, I was never exposed to jade. I kept thinking why. Why is this the most valuable jewellery? It’s because the entire ring is carved out of a single piece of jade. [The ring is made from the best part of the jade]. I wanted to make a diamond ring like that, and the Endless Cut was the result. When you wear the ring, you cannot see the [precious metal links] and it looks like it is carved out from one diamond.
Here are four other extraordinary diamond cuts that will give you a whole new perception of fine modern jewellery:
LV cut by Louis Vuitton
The patented LV diamond cut is inspired by the brand’s iconic Monogram, featuring star and flower motifs. The luminous and elegant design resembles the brand’s logo with four pointed or curved petals. Brilliant-cut diamonds usually have 58 facets while the Louis Vuitton diamond cut features 61 and 77, which is a mixture of the brilliant and princess facet arrangements.
Crisscut by Christopher Designs
The long and short crisscrossed facets emphasise a diamond’s depth, resulting in high-intensity brilliance. The ‘full-of-fire’ diamond has climbed through the ranks of high jewellery lovers’ wish list.
Blaze cut by Bez Ambar
The square cut with 13 crown facets is a modern cut that generates a remarkable amount of ‘fire’. Bez Ambar, the cut’s creator, intentionally designed the cut with fewer facets, but each one smaller, for optimal reflection of light.
Wallace cut by Wallace Chan
World-known sculptor aka the jewel scientist Wallace Chan diverges from the common perception of diamonds appreciation. The local jeweller invented the Wallace cut by combining medieval cameo and intaglio with three-dimensional engraving, resulting in five 3-D reflections of a human face at the centre of a precious stone such as a diamond.
Tina Cheung