Pink Sapphire Cut

Pink sapphires are a stunning stone, but you might be wondering what cut is best for your rings, engagement rings or earrings. Honestly, it truly depends on your budget, style of jewelry and personal preferences. Hopefully this guide gives you some insight into how pink sapphires are cut so you can select the perfect gemstone.

Technical Considerations

Regardless of what the pink sapphire will be used for, whether beads, art, or fine jewelry, its cut is important. It's especially important for fine jewelry because it impacts the beauty of the stone. You want a dazzling pink sapphire that sparkles and shines.

Cabochon Cutting Process

Cabochons refers to the round-topped stones that do not have the angled facets seen in some gemstones; however, they are still beautiful, shiny, smoothed, and polished. Some gemstones, like opals and onyx, become cabochons because they don't let a lot of light into the stone. Making a cabochon allows the gemstone's unique patterning to shine through.

From Rough Pink Sapphire to Pink Sapphire Jewelry: Cutting Process

Rough pink sapphires with good clarity are usually cut into faceted stones. A gem cutter, also called a lapidary, selects the rough, and then inspects it for flaws. The lapidary cuts out flaws with a gem saw, and then decides what shape would best suit the stone. Generally, the goal is to maximize the rough while getting optimal cut quality.

Next, the lapidary cuts the pink sapphire into a rough outline of the final product. It's also “glued” to a stick that holds the gem while it gets cut. Next, facets are cut and smoothed out beginning at the bottom of the stone. The final aspect is polishing, and then this process repeats with the top of the stone.

After the pink sapphire is cut and polished, it's ready to set. You'll see pink sapphires in all types of jewelry, from earrings to necklaces to engagement rings.

Natural versus Lab Created Pink Sapphire

One difference between cutting natural and lab pink sapphires is you don't have to worry about flaws in lab-made pink sapphires. Generally, lab-created pink sapphires have fewer flows. As part of the cutting process, the goal is to remove as many inclusions as they can, such as feathers and needles, or hide the flaws in the facets.

Pink Sapphire Cut, Described

You can cut sapphires into the same shapes that diamonds can, such as princess, round, and emerald. Lower-quality pink sapphires don't become expertly-cut gemstones. Instead, they're used for cabochons, beads, or other purposes.

Let's take a closer look at some of the faceted cuts you'll see for pink sapphires:

Step Cuts

Step cuts look unique because they have straight lines that are parallel to each other with the facing facets across from each other. This type of cut looks like it has layers, with symmetry and square angles. Here are some variations in step cuts:

Asscher

Asscher cuts are step cuts that are in the shape of a square, but the corners are cut off so it's easier to set. Jewelry experts call Asschers the “hall of mirrors” because the light reflects off of each parallel facet, back and forth. Additional light comes up from the bottom.

Emerald

A similar cut to Asscher is the emerald cut. Think of an elongated Asscher pink sapphire, and that's an emerald cut. They're more rectangular than square. The corners are typically mitered to avoid a sharp point.

Baguette and Carre

Baguette and carre cuts are variations of asscher and emerald cuts. Baguette cuts have sharper corners and are more elongated than emerald cuts. Carre cuts are sharp-cornered versions of the Asscher cut.

Brilliant Cuts

Brilliant cuts have plenty of brilliance and are curved edges with many facets that give the stone sparkle.

Round

Like its name implies, it's a round cut pink sapphire with 57 facets cut at different angles. The angles and facets create sparkle and make it one of the most popular cuts.

Cushion

Think of cushion cuts like the brilliant version of an asscher. However, instead of mitered corners, the corners are rounded and the sides are straight. This cut gives you sparkle but still has a modern square shape.

Oval

This cut continues to increase in popularity - it's similar to a round but has an elongated oval shape. It's a sleek, modern look and the oval is a newer cut because of modern-day technology.

Princess

Princess cuts are unique in that they combine step and brilliant cuts. Its facet patterns look more like brilliants, but they have sharp corners like step cuts. Pink sapphires continue to be more popular for engagement rings, and a princess-cut engagement ring would be romantic and unforgettable.