6 Special Diamond Cuts
Tina Cheung
Fine jewellers are moving from traditional cuts – princess, emerald, cushion and brilliant – to unconventional cuts to create unique masterpieces.
One such jeweller is Nirav Modi, who has patented several diamond cuts while designing his stunning pieces. Using innovative techniques, he is able to create visual masterpieces with his unique cuts. Ainra cut-diamonds, for example, are linked together directly without any gold or silver links in between. What surprised us when we tried on the bracelet was its fluidity and lightness, thanks to his innovative technique.
The founder of his eponymous brand was in Hong Kong earlier to celebrate the opening of his first store in the city at Elements mall. He tells STYLE about his inspiration and the beauty in these unique cuts.
Q: What inspired you to go beyond traditional cuts?
A: The normal person cannot see whether [a diamond cut] has 58 facets or 101 facets. For me, it makes no sense to make a special cut just for marketing. [My unique cuts] have a purpose. The Ainra cut has never been done before – it is beautiful and also functional.
Q: Tell us more about the Endless Cut. I heard it was inspired by Hong Kong.
A: I used to work in Hong Kong 25 years ago. I saw that the most valuable jewellery a taitai [in Hong Kong] had was a jade ring. Being an Indian who had been living in Belgium, I was never exposed to jade. I kept thinking why. Why is this the most valuable jewellery? It’s because the entire ring is carved out of a single piece of jade. [The ring is made from the best part of the jade]. I wanted to make a diamond ring like that, and the Endless Cut was the result. When you wear the ring, you cannot see the [precious metal links] and it looks like it is carved out from one diamond.
Here are four other extraordinary diamond cuts that will give you a whole new perception of fine modern jewellery: