-French Cuts

The French Cut style of cutting diamonds dates back to the 14th century and is thought to be one of the oldest methods of diamond cutting. Originally, this cutting style was primarily used for diamonds then later for colored stones. During the 17th century the French Cut came into fashion among the royalty and nobility of Europe, especially France, and was used in some of the most extravagant jewels of the period. It is believed that this style of cutting was not actually named the French Cut until the late 1920’s when once again it was made popular by French jewelers who used it for their “Art Deco” designs, which were all the rage at the time. The French Cut seemed to perfectly complement the geometric designs of the Art Deco period, where linear, symmetrical designs were influenced by new machines of the industrial revolution, Egyptian grave discoveries and Japanese paintings. One of the most important causes of such an amalgamation of styles to pollinate into Art Deco design was the Chicago World’s Fair of 1925. International artists congregated in one place, each bringing their own flavor until a full-blown artistic movement called Art Deco reached full maturation in the early 1930’s. France was the epicenter of the Art Deco movement in jewelry design and really helped pushed it forward. Often, French cut stones can be seen in Art Deco bracelets or earrings where a line of several colored stones are channel set in a row, surrounded by pave’ set round diamonds. The effect is a stunning contrast between square or rectangular French cut color and bright, neutral white diamonds, usually on platinum or white gold. PHOTO OF ROUND FRENCH CUT RUBY EARRINGS HERE WITH THE FOLLOWING CAPTION: “Beautiful Art Deco style earrings using French Cut rubies by JC Blackburn” Another popular use of French Cut colored stones is for the side stones on Art Deco engagement rings, cocktail rings or right-hand rings. During the Art Deco period, some of the finest handmade rings, often in platinum, displayed masterfully cut French Cut side stones. Because these stones were usually quite small in comparison to the center diamond, the master jewelers of the era wanted to use stones that didn’t require too many facets but at the same time appear more lively and detailed then a simple step cut. French cutting these sides stones proved to be the perfect solution so much that it’s rare to see high end colored accent stones of this period with step cut stones. Cutting stones into French Cuts is not an easy task. With the much simpler step cut, the table takes up most of the crown of the stone and a few steps are cut into the sides. However, the French Cut requires a rough stone with more volume since it will have a steeper crown angle and more star facets cut into it. In turn, more stone volume and weight is needed which increases the cost. Often, jewelry manufacturers will purchase stone parcels that are cut into step cuts then recut them into French Cut stones and the weight loss can be as high as 75%. PHOTO OF FRENCH CUT SAPPHIRE SIDE STONE RING WITH THIS CAPTION: (Art Deco Style Ring by JC Blackburn using French Cut sapphire side stones) JC Blackburn has specialized in using French Cut accent stones in their jewelry for over 20 years. When asked what’s so special about French Cut stones and why they almost exclusively use this cut in their accent stones, he replied: “It’s that extra attention to detail that our customers really appreciate and have come to expect from our work. When you move the piece around and you see a brilliant display of saturated colored light bouncing back then you know the extra finishing touch was worth it.”