Faceting

The most sophisticated way to alter raw gemstones is to cut the surface into many flat areas called facets. These have the important function of reflecting and transmitting light, always based on the angle at which the light strikes them. Each facet has a specific role.

A gemstone that has been faceted is an ingeniously thought out object that makes use of the principle of refraction from physics. The aim of cutting the stone is to return as much of the light entering the stone back through its table and facets to the human eye.