Discover BIRON® Gems
BIRON® Cut Stones
Gemstones under the BIRON® brand name are either produced by us (as in the case of emeralds) or sourced from the best producers worldwide. Our aim is to only supply the best lab-grown gemstones, which possess properties, if not identical, then almost identical to the highest quality of natural gemstones, at about a tenth of the price of natural gemstones.
Explore our signature stones: emeralds, rubies, blue sapphires, alexandrites, padparadscha, diamonds and opals:
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Faceted styles gem cutting
Photo credit: ROBERT WELDON/GIA.
Briolette diamond
A 75.36 carats briolette diamond is worn by Hong Kong-based model and actress Lynn Xiong during a Christie’s preview in Hong Kong. May 7, 2013. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Oval cabochons
Photo credit: ORASA WELDON/GIA (top, middle); KEVIN SCHUMACHER/GIA (bottom)
Jade beads
The set of jade jewels worn by the last Empress of Qing Dynasty. Photo credit: SOHU.COM
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Faceted styles gem cutting
Photo credit: ROBERT WELDON/GIA.
Briolette diamond
A 75.36 carats briolette diamond is worn by Hong Kong-based model and actress Lynn Xiong during a Christie’s preview in Hong Kong. May 7, 2013. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Jade beads
The set of jade jewels worn by the last Empress of Qing Dynasty. Photo credit: SOHU.COM
Testimonials
The Most Impressive Colour
After many years of intensive research on many aspects of hydrothermal technology,
BIRON® emerald resulted in a colour that was virtually indistinguishable from the Columbian Muzo emerald,
the most desirable colour in the marketplace.
Created Gemstone Deep Dive
What is a cut gemstone?
A cut gemstone is a faceted or non-faceted loose gem that is made into a particular shape and size to show the natural brilliance, colour and lustre of the gemstone. Lab-grown gems, including gemstones by BIRON®, are cut in the same way as natural gems and are meticulously cut by hand. They are polished facet by facet meticulously by skilled workers with the assistance of machinery.
Cut gemstones are different from rough stones that are raw crystals, found loose in the ground through natural mining and are untouched by humans. Rough gems are uncut and unpolished.
Faceted gemstones can feature geometrically-shaped faces that are flat, while non-faceted gemstones, otherwise known as cabochons, are usually round or oval and can have one flat bottom or smoothly curved top and bottom.
Cutting is a technique that determines the finished appearance, size, and shape of a loose gemstone. This can determine a good cut from a bad cut. Generally, a good cut maintains both beauty and shape. This is maintained through balanced symmetry and proportion with acceptable brilliance, clarity and polish.
A bad cut would show unequal proportions, shape and polish.
Cut gemstones and raw crystals. Photo credit: GIA
What are the different types of gem cutting?
There are over 10 types of gem cutting across faceted and non-faceted styles. The art/skill of cutting is known as lapidary, this art form includes 3 basic faceted gem cutting styles and 2 basic non-faceted cuts.
1. Faceted Cut
a. Basic gem cutting styles
Gemstones, including lab-grown gems, can feature facets, which are flat geometrically-shaped faces.
Well known for its brilliance through scintillating light refractory, the brilliant-cut is made up of 57 triangular and kite-shaped facets that spread out from the centre of the gemstone. The brilliant-cut is commonly used in light colour round gemstones, usually diamond.
A popular cut that shows off the gemstone’s clarity and colour through rectangular facets that spread out from the centre and descend downwards.
This gem-cutting style combines both brilliant and step cuts that can include a mix of cabbing and faceting techniques. Mixing styles helps to create consistent colour through the refraction of light.
b. Other gem cutting styles
Facets placed and cut at different parts of a stone have different functions. For example, a table facet acts as a window to the interior of the stone and break facets scatter light and create scintillation or tiny flashes of light whilst star facets are for controlling the entry and exit of light from the gem. All these have evolved into different cutting styles within the industry.
This cut is popular for use in pendants and earrings. To qualify as a Briolette, the gemstone should have a teardrop or pear shape and is covered all round in facets.
A cut consisting of flat surfaces layered in a strategic geometric way to bring out the original luminescence of a gemstone.
2. Non-faceted cut
a. Basic gem cutting styles
Non-faceted gemstones in a smooth finish are known as cabochons or baroque. Cabochons are mostly made round or oval-shaped through cabbing and can come in simple and double cabochon styles. A baroque is an irregular-shaped gemstone. Both cabochon and baroque are gemstones that are not beaded, carved or faceted.
A gemstone shape with a flat bottom and curved top that is often cut into an ellipse and is not a bead, carved or faceted. The oval shape of the curved cabochon is attractive for its uniform smooth roundness.
A gemstone shape with a curved top and bottom. Stones in the raw whether lab-grown or natural are often cabbed in this style to maximise weight. The oval shape of the domed cabochon is attractive for its uniform smooth roundness.
Photo Credit: GIA
b. Other gem cutting styles
Non-faceted cutting is usually for softer stones. Cabochons often act like a window allowing one to see a gem’s natural details inside and display other effects such as play of colour for opals, cat’s eye or asterism (star).
A perfect sphere that is rounded fully to show off a stone’s original visual effects and to emphasise lustre and colour over brilliance.
A simple round cabochon with a high oval-shaped dome better shows the quality and visual effects of a gemstone that would not be visible in a faceted cut. An unpolished flat bottom can sometimes best display the effects.
Gemstones are cut into a circular shape and feature a hole in the middle to display their unique patterns and colourings.
What are faceting and polishing?
Fantasy carving cut aquamarine. Photo credit: Robert Weldon/GIA
Faceting is the art of layering flat surfaces together in a geometric arrangement to expose a gemstone’s inherent brilliance.
Polishing is the art of giving each facet a high sheen to bring out the lustre of the gemstone.
Why buy lab-cut stones?
Jewellery brands, designers, dealers, retailers and manufacturers buy lab-cut gemstones in bulk because of the precision and high-quality finish without the price tag. Through man-made processes, synthetic gemstones that are created in a laboratory means growing crystals in a controlled environment that regulates predictable growth and symmetry for optimal brilliance.
There are a wider variety of gemstones in carat weights, shapes, cuts and colours to choose from.
Photo credit: GLOBAL EXTRACTION NETWORKS
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