Tell me about Portuguese style cut?

[Taylorbug!]

I am looking at some stones and this vendor has a few that are labeled, Portuguese style cut. Can someone explain what exactly that is?

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

A standard round brilliant has 57 facets, a Portuguese round has 161 facets. The added facets typically add brilliance to the gemstone. The cut is often used to help get a better yield than a standard round brilliant and can be used to help hide small inclusions in the gemstone. Its one of my favorite cuts.

 

[chrono]

Jim has described the Portuguese cut well from a cutter’s point of view. From a consumer’s view, this style of cutting is flashier than the regular round brilliant, although it is also usually deeper due to the nature of the cut. The other nice thing about this cut is that it is well suited to lower RI stones like aquamarines and tourmalines.

 

[Taylorbug!]

A standard round brilliant has 57 facets, a Portuguese round has 161 facets. The added facets typically add brilliance to the gemstone. The cut is often used to help get a better yield than a standard round brilliant and can be used to help hide small inclusions in the gemstone. Its one of my favorite cuts.

Jim....just curious, are diamonds ever cut this way?

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

I have not seen a diamond cut this way, however I have heard of a few. They are rare though, because the cut has more depth, which means a person will not get as large of a millimeter size compared to a standard round brilliant of the same weight.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I am far from an expert, but it is my favorite cut, so I know a little. It has a flower appearance that I love and is sometimes called various flower names. It is my understanding that it is used in colored stones and not diamonds because the angles it produces makes the colors appear stronger and more vivid than in other cuts. I have heard that this cut is more likely to be windowed, so keep an eye out for that, although I don't know if it is true or not.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

I have heard that this cut is more likely to be windowed, so keep an eye out for that, although I don't know if it is true or not.

I have not seen any ports that are windowed but any gemstone cut can be windowed if the pavilion is cut below the critical angle for the gemstone. This is why a lot of precision cutters will not cut below 41-43 degrees on the last rows of pavillion facets. This often will protect against windows.

 

[Liane]

I have not seen a diamond cut this way, however I have heard of a few. They are rare though, because the cut has more depth, which means a person will not get as large of a millimeter size compared to a standard round brilliant of the same weight.

What about CZs? I've never seen one because CZs are generally not discussed on PS, but I've long wondered what a Portuguese-cut diamond would look like (it's one of my favorite cuts too, and I often wonder what it'd do with a high-RI material), and in this specific instance I almost kinda want to get a Portuguese CZ just so I can finally lay that curiosity to rest.

 

[Nashville]

Liane, I've seen portuguese cut CZ's before (online), I am willing to bet the light show would be pretty impressive.

By the way... is that a Greenlake set in your avatar????

 

[gsellis]

Another thing about a portuguese cut is that it really scintillates and in that, can hide a fast, sloppy cut in a very bright package. Being deep, it preserves a lot of weight too. So sold by brilliance and caret weight, it is a good cut for premium rough that comes out of the factory cutting shops.

Jim just finished one that I have seen pictures of that not only knocks your socks off, but takes your shoes with it. And the meets really do. So he can speak Portuguese

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

Jim just finished one that I have seen pictures of that not only knocks your socks off, but takes your shoes with it. And the meets really do. So he can speak Portuguese

Thanks George, I appreciate that!

 

[Taylorbug!]

Another thing about a portuguese cut is that it really scintillates and in that, can hide a fast, sloppy cut in a very bright package. Being deep, it preserves a lot of weight too. So sold by brilliance and caret weight, it is a good cut for premium rough that comes out of the factory cutting shops.

Jim just finished one that I have seen pictures of that not only knocks your socks off, but takes your shoes with it. And the meets really do. So he can speak Portuguese

Where can I see this stone? And is it for sale?

 

[velouriaL]

I remember a thread a while back about thing people didn't like, and many people mentioned Portuguese cuts. That thread didn't go so well, but I'm wondering what the drawbacks are or what people don't like about them.

 

[zeolite]

https://www.pricescope.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132924

 

[AprilBaby]

I think Wink can provide a picture of a Portuguese cut clear stone.

It really would be my favorite cut for a colored stone.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Portuguese cuts, can be prone to a lot of extinction, especially in smaller stones.