Two kinds of french cuts?

[Circe]

I've gone on a french cut kick recently, and I've noticed there seem to be two kinds - the kind with the octagonal table and the kind with the kite-set square table. Anybody know the history on this, and/or if they're supposed to have different names? I recently bought one of each, and love 'em both, but would love to have the correct vocabulary for describing them at my fingertips (as it were).

 

[Circe]

Hm... lot of views but no replies, huh? Maybe I'm just not describing them right - let me add some pics. Kite-faced from Lang Antiques, octagonal from Craig Evan Small:

 

[diagem]

There are numerous facet variations for French Cuts.

Dont forget these were cut mostly around the early 1900's. Mostly facet preferences were taste related. Some jewelers preferred the split corner variation which naturally causes the table to become Octogonal'ish shaped.

Circe, the first picture you posted seem to have pavilion steps on these "French Cuts"? Anyone else notices that?

 

[Circe]

Yoram, I was so hoping you'd see this thread - thanks for responding. The first band is from Lang, and a modern repro (http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/110-3-2869)- I grabbed a pic of the biggest specimen I could find, but I didn't notice that distinction. I take it they're not supposed to be there?

Similarly,I hadn't noticed what you call the split corner variation - is that the pavilion facet that's almost giving it an asscher-esque windmill effect? It's funny, I hadn't ever noticed this kind of french cut before, and suddenly I'm seeing a lot of them (the one I bought, another at the little shop around the corner, another at Craig Evan Small). I'm wondering if my eye is just sensitized - once you see one, you see them everywhere! - or if they're being newly cut in line with the burgeoning trend ...?

 

[diagem]

Yoram, I was so hoping you'd see this thread - thanks for responding. The first band is from Lang, and a modern repro (http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/110-3-2869)- I grabbed a pic of the biggest specimen I could find, but I didn't notice that distinction. I take it they're not supposed to be there?


Similarly,I hadn't noticed what you call the split corner variation - is that the pavilion facet that's almost giving it an asscher-esque windmill effect? It's funny, I hadn't ever noticed this kind of french cut before, and suddenly I'm seeing a lot of them (the one I bought, another at the little shop around the corner, another at Craig Evan Small). I'm wondering if my eye is just sensitized - once you see one, you see them everywhere! - or if they're being newly cut in line with the burgeoning trend ...?

Split corners at the crown corner facets.
Instead of four facet junctions with the table you get eight shaping the table to an Octagonal shape.

 

[Circe]

Aha! I have such poor spatial organization that it took me half an hour of puzzling over that to make sense of that, and then I cried Eureka! because yes, that makes perfect sense. They also seem to have much bigger tables ... what's the reason for that?

To my eye, it's actually a really beautiful effect, btw. I've never appreciated large tables on stones with complex pavilions, but the simplicity and the resulting broad flashes are lovely.

Anybody else out there have any other variations?