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FIRE IN THE EARTH
or
grinding so that 5/18 of the diagonal was removed, and similarly to
remove the bottom comer so that 1/18 of the diagonal was removed.
Marcel Tolowski, who made a study of the proportions necessary for a
perfect brilliant, improved upon this and inspired further
improvements, so that today we find the width of the table should be
slightly less than half the total width of the stone. The culet, on the
other hand, should be quite small, having not more than one-sixth of
the width of the table, its real purpose being to avoid the danger of
the point's splintering. And we already have other general proportions
as outlined by Mr. Kafka.
There
are reasons for absolute accuracy in placing facets on a brilliant. The
obvious one is to assure that all the light entering it by way of the
table is completely reflected from the facets on which it falls at the
base, emerging with a minimum of loss through the crown by way of the
stars or bezels in order to produce the maximum fire or color effect. A
properly faceted diamond looks somewhat dark when viewed with the table
exposed toward the source of fight, the only light escaping through the
culet. In other gem stones or glass imitations the light is refracted
out (through the base of the stone.
The
dimensions we have considered are not necessarily adopted, particularly
abroad. Diamond cutting in the United States is based upon the demand
for perfection. In Europe it has been a practice to depart from the
"perfect" method of faceting in order to give the stone a bigger spread
for Its weight. In this event, the crown seldom has as much as ane-third
of the total depth of the stone and often as little is one-sixth. At
the same time the table facet is much larger, laving about
three-quarters of the total width, and the side acets are smaller and
inclined to it at smaller angles. The
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