How do diamonds go from rough to polished?

Diamonds look amazing when you purchase them in the store. But as you can imagine, they aren’t found like that at all. In fact, they are found in various mines in a rather rough format. Polishing a diamond requires a professional, as well as equipment and a lot of precision.

The first thing to do here is to acquire the rough diamond. Once that is done, you have to understand that diamonds are created from the hardest materials in the world. So, only with a diamond will you be able to cut another diamond. Lasers can be used here too, but many times they are suitable for bruting and cleaving. The diamond cutter will have diamond bladed discs or edges. These are lined directly to the diamond dust.

Is the cutting and polishing process simple?

In order for the diamonds to be polished and cut, there are 5 steps to focus on. These include:

Planning
Cleaving
Bruting
Polishing
Inspecting

Planning

During planning, the cutter has to identify which is the best shape for the diamond. This will maximize the rough stone yield and minimize any potential waste. To do that, the rough stone will be mapped with a dedicated machine named the Sarin Machine. This is used to acquire measurements that are accurate and to the point. Once this data is acquired, the computer software can generate 3D models which show the cutter how to start the process.

Cleaving

Cleaning splits the rough into multiple pieces. Cleaning is important because it enables the cutter to work on separate pieces and it can help you use the rough at its fullest. Sometimes, mechanical sawing can be necessary here. Lasers may be a solution during cleaving, depending on the situation.

Bruting

During bruting, the rough stones are rounded up. During this process, 2 diamonds are placed on an axle that spins across one another. The idea here is that the diamonds are turning in opposite directions, and these will help round up the rough diamond.

Polishing

After you get this shape, you will have to form the diamond facets. A rotating arm needs to be used here, as well as a spinning wheel. This is a crucial process because it creates the reflective and smooth diamond facets. There are 2 other steps here, blocking and brillianteering. During the blocking process, multiple features like 1 table facet, 8 crowns, 8 pavilion mains and 1 cullet are added to create a single stone. Once that is done, the brillianteer will then come here and complete the task by adding these facets. Usually, there will be 58 facets.

Inspection

The inspection is designed to identify any potential issues with the diamond. If there are no problems, the diamond is ready for sale. But if there are any issues, the stone needs to be sent back to the polishers in order to put the final touches.

One thing is certain; there are many steps to go through for a diamond to become a polished piece. Yes, it can be very time-consuming, but a diamond is an outstanding piece, and it does require a lot of dedication. This also goes to show that the overall price of a diamond includes the challenging mining process and the accurate, demanding production experience as well!