The Definition of Diamond Cutters

Diamond cutting is the practice of changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Cutting diamond requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme difficulty.

The first guild of diamond cutters and polishers (diamantaire) was formed in 1375 in Nuremberg, Germany, and led to the development of various types of 'cut'. This has two meanings in relation to diamonds. The first is the shape: square, oval, and so on. The second relates to the specific quality of cut within the shape, and the quality and price will vary greatly based on the cut quality. Since diamonds are one of the hardest materials, special diamond-coated surfaces are used to grind the diamond down. The first major development in diamond cutting came with the "Point Cut" during the later half of the 14th century: the Point Cut follows the natural shape of an octahedral rough diamond crystal, eliminating some waste in the cutting process.

Diamond cutting, as well as overall processing, is concentrated in a few cities around the world: while 80% of rough diamonds are handled in the Antwerp diamond district in Belgium, more than 50% of processed diamonds also pass through there. Ninety-two percent of diamond pieces are cut in Surat, Gujarat state in India. The other important diamond centers are Tel Aviv and New York City.