Large Cut Diamond in a Setting, anonymous, 1710 - 1770
etching, h 132mm × w 92mm More details
This print shows an early example of a brilliant-cut oval diamond, a type of cut used increasingly in the course of the 18th century. The features of this style are illustrated at the top: the flat table (top view), the girdle (side view), and the pavilion (bottom view). The brilliant-cut optimizes the dispersion of light in the stone, enhancing its fire, or brilliance.
