---
title: "Trillion Cut Tourmaline: Pros, Cons and Scores"
description: "Trillion Cut in tourmaline: brilliance 68, fire 60, leakage 22%, 1 pro and 3 cons against the T73, from our ray-traced light census."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/stone-cuts/trillion-tourmaline-og.jpg?v=3771a18f
---

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# Trillion Cut Tourmaline: lighter than the same cut in diamond

**Buy (instant download, personal-use license):** [Trillion Cut 3D files, €9.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/d7e9d0fc-1a1c-44fa-a3e4-2e8ef54f8e6d) · [Trillion Cut cutting files, €6.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/d3df8563-1d93-47e4-9926-bcab55355b22) · [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25) · [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e)

Brilliance 68 · Fire 60 · Scintillation 80 · in our census, where the T73 scores 86 · 50 · 80 in tourmaline

How the Trillion Cut handles light in tourmaline, measured: brilliance 68, fire 60 and 22% leakage, set against the T73 in the same stone and against the same cut in diamond.

[Get the files](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion#buy) [Open it in the Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline&ct=1.00&view=angle&lighting=studio&turn=0) [All cuts in tourmaline](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline)

Light Return map of the Trillion Cut in tourmaline, face-up, from our own tracer at refractive index 1.603. Red, green and blue return light to the eye; gray leaks.

## Trillion Cut Tourmaline

Tourmaline has a refractive index of 1.603 to 1.655 and a dispersion of 0.017. Its critical angle, from the low end of that range, is 38.6°, so a round design needs a pavilion of at least 38.6° for head-on light to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. We trace it with one index, 1.629, the midpoint of the published range, and a fire spread of 0.015, 0.86 of the published dispersion. Every picture here is our Light Return tracer at 1.603, and every figure is from the same light census that scores the other gemstones; the 3D Gemstone Simulator shows the Trillion Cut in tourmaline live. Tourmaline is strongly doubly refractive (birefringence up to 0.040), so its back facets can look doubled. Our census traces one index (1.629), so the doubling is not in these figures.

The Trillion Cut has 73 facets, a table of 56.6% of its width and a total depth of 50.7% of its width; its pavilion mains sit at 31.9°. In tourmaline, the census returns 68 of 100 for brilliance and 60 for fire, against 86 and 50 for the T73, our benchmark, in the same stone; the same Trillion Cut in diamond reads 67 and 87.

## Is tourmaline good in a Trillion? Pros and cons, measured

### Pros

- [Lighter than the same cut in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion#pro-weight) 0.71 vs 0.80 ct

### Cons

- [Less fire in tourmaline than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion#con-fire) 60 vs 87
- [Returns less light than the T73 in tourmaline](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion#con-brilliance) 68 vs 86
- [Leaks more in tourmaline than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trillion#con-leak) 22 vs 13

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in tourmaline and with the Trillion Cut in diamond. A difference counts from 3 points (Brilliance, Fire, Tilt, Leakage), 5 (Scintillation, Symmetry), 4% (face-up size per carat) or 5% (weight); Tilt counts as a pro only for a stone within 5 points of the brilliance it is compared with. [How we measure](https://digitalgemology.com/about/how-we-measure).

## All eight scores against the T73

At a glance: the Trillion Cut in tourmaline (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in tourmaline (dashed): solid white where it reaches further, hatched where it falls short. Each pro and con is explained, with pictures, below.

Against the T73 Round Brilliant in tourmaline: ahead on 3, level on 2, behind on 3.

- Global 75, the comparison 78, difference −3
- Brilliance 68, the comparison 86, difference −18
- Fire 60, the comparison 50, difference +10
- Scintillation 80, the comparison 80, difference 0
- Spread 107, the comparison 100, difference +7
- Symmetry 100, the comparison 100, difference 0
- Shape-norm 79, the comparison 93, difference −14
- Tilt 87, the comparison 74, difference +13

Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring. Spread is the census's estimate from depth alone; the face-up size in the pros and cons is measured from each model's outline. [Open it in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline); these are the same census figures as our [Cut Performance Index](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/cut-performance-index).

## What the Trillion Cut gains in tourmaline

### Lighter than the same cut in diamond

**0.71 ct** at 6.5 mm, against 0.80 ct for the same cut in diamond (−11%)

Weight follows specific gravity: 3.13 for tourmaline against 3.52 for diamond, so the same model at the same size weighs 0.71 ct here and 0.80 ct in diamond, 6.5 mm across. Nothing about the light changes with it.

*Weight of a 6.5 mm Trillion Cut: 0.71 ct in tourmaline, 0.80 ct in diamond*

A Trillion Cut 6.5 mm across, weighed from the model's measured volume and each stone's specific gravity.

[Try it yourself: Weights in every gemstone on the Trillion Cut page](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/trillion#stones)

## What the Trillion Cut gives up in tourmaline

### Less fire in tourmaline than in diamond

**Fire 60** against 87 for the Trillion Cut in diamond: 27 points lower

Fire is the share of the returned light that splits into color at the exit facet: the census traces each exit again at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread (0.015 in tourmaline) and counts a ray as fire when the two directions differ by more than 0.6°. The Trillion Cut reads 60 against 87 for the same cut in diamond. The figure is the census's; the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders tourmaline's fire live.

The fire figure is the census's, traced at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread. [See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0): the Trillion Cut in tourmaline under the sunny-day lighting.

**What helps:** [the Oval Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/oval) reads 80 for fire in tourmaline, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0)

### Returns less light than the T73 in tourmaline

**Brilliance 68** against 86 for the T73 Round Brilliant in tourmaline: 18 points lower

Brilliance is the share of the 3,200 census rays that enter the stone and come back out of the crown towards the viewer. In tourmaline, whose critical angle is 38.6°, the Trillion Cut returns 68 of 100 and the T73 86. The Trillion Cut's pavilion mains sit at 31.9°, the T73's at 40.8°. The maps below show where each stone's light returns from and where it leaks.

Trillion Cut in tourmaline · Brilliance 68

T73 Round Brilliant in tourmaline · Brilliance 86

Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; gray = leakage, light that leaves heading down or stays inside. This is the head-on view; the Brilliance score averages a wider cone of light, so the score can differ from what one picture shows.

**What helps:** [the DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-m5) reads 96 for brilliance in tourmaline, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Open this Light Return map in the simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline&ct=1.00&view=up&map=1&turn=0)

### Leaks more in tourmaline than in diamond

**Leakage 22** against 13 for the Trillion Cut in diamond: 9 points higher

Leakage is the share of the census rays that enter the stone and leave through the pavilion, or through the crown heading down. The Trillion Cut leaks 22% in tourmaline against 13% for the same cut in diamond. Grey in the maps below is leaking light; the share under each picture is that picture's own.

Trillion Cut in tourmaline · Leakage 22

0° · 18% leak

10° · 25% leak

20° · 39% leak

30° · 55% leak

Trillion Cut in diamond · Leakage 13

0° · 16% leak

10° · 17% leak

20° · 19% leak

30° · 29% leak

Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; gray is leakage. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

**What helps:** [the DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-m5) reads 4% for leakage in tourmaline, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Tilt it yourself in the simulator's light map](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=trillion&stone=tourmaline&ct=1.00&view=up&map=1&turn=0)

## Our verdict on the Trillion Cut in tourmaline

Pick the Trillion Cut in tourmaline for this: it weighs less than in diamond. The catch: it shows less fire than in diamond, returns less light than the T73 and leaks more than in diamond.

If that catch matters more to you, [the Oval Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/oval) reads 80 for fire in tourmaline, the best of the cuts we score there.

Every figure on this page is from our light census, traced at one refractive index: a simulation of the geometry, not a grading report. The 3D files and cutting files below are the same Trillion Cut model we traced.

## Trillion Cut Tourmaline: questions

### Is the Trillion a good cut for tourmaline?

In our census the Trillion Cut returns 68 of 100 for brilliance and 60 for fire in tourmaline, against 86 and 50 for the T73 in the same stone. Against that round and against the same cut in diamond it has 1 pro and 3 cons by our thresholds; the summary above names them.

### What pavilion angle does tourmaline need?

At least 38.6° for a round design: tourmaline's critical angle is 38.6°, from the low end of its refractive index range, and head-on light has to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. The Trillion Cut's pavilion mains sit at 31.9°.

### How much does a Trillion weigh in tourmaline?

At 6.5 mm across, 0.71 ct in tourmaline, against 0.80 ct for the same cut in diamond (-11%): tourmaline's specific gravity is 3.13, diamond's 3.52.

### Can I see the Trillion in tourmaline in 3D?

Yes: the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders it live, with tourmaline's own refractive index and dispersion. Tourmaline is traced by the same light census as the other gemstones, with its refractive index and fire spread derived from published values, so its scores are on the same scale; the pictures here are our Light Return tracer, and the Cut Performance Wheel sets it against any other cut and stone.

## Get the Trillion Cut files

*6 formats* *Millimeters* *Watertight*

### Trillion Cut 3D files

The Trillion Cut as exact geometry: 73 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

- **STEP** Exact faceted solid for CAD
- **3DM** Rhino, closed mesh on its own layer
- **STL** Watertight mesh for printing and casting
- **OBJ** Mesh for modeling and rendering
- **FBX** Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
- **GLB** Web, AR and quick previews

€9.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the 3D files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/d7e9d0fc-1a1c-44fa-a3e4-2e8ef54f8e6d)

*GemCad* *120 index*

### Trillion Cut cutting files

The Trillion Cut as a faceting design: 61 + 12 girdles = 73 facets, 120 index, 3-fold symmetry, ready for the machine.

- **.asc** GemCad design file, 120 index gear
- **.csv** Tier table: angles, indices and cutting order
- **Diagram** Printable faceting diagram

€6.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the cutting files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/d3df8563-1d93-47e4-9926-bcab55355b22)

Save with a bundle: the Trillion Cut cutting files are also in [Faceter's Classics](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/#bundles), 10 cuts for €22.49 until 1 December, then €29.99 (€69.90 as single files). [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25).

Not sure the files open in your software? [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e): the same six formats, for your email address, used only to send them ([privacy](https://digitalgemology.com/privacy#free-sample)).

Questions before you buy? [Email us](mailto:support@digitalgemology.com).

## More gemstones and cuts

[Tourmaline: optical properties and the top ten cuts](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline) · [The Trillion Cut: specifications, model and files](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/trillion)

### Other cuts in tourmaline

- [T73 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/t73-round-brilliant)
- [T105 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/t105-round-brilliant)
- [DG-Vitruvio](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-vitruvio)
- [DG-Anteros](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-anteros)
- [DG-Broken Hearts and Arrows](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-broken-hearts-and-arrows)
- [Baguette Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/baguette)
- [Emerald Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/emerald-cut)
- [Marquise Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/marquise)
- [Oval Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/oval)
- [Pear Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/pear)
- [Radiant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/radiant)
- [Rectangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/rectangle)
- [Teardrop Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/teardrop)
- [Asscher Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/asscher)
- [Cushion Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/cushion)
- [Emerald Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/emerald-square)
- [Princess Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/princess)
- [Radiant Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/radiant-square)
- [Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/square)
- [Triangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/triangle)
- [Trilliant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/trilliant)
- [Hexagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/hexagon)
- [Octagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/octagon)
- [Portuguese Bird's Nest Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/portuguese-birds-nest)
- [Old Single Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/old-single)
- [Mazarin Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/mazarin)
- [Peruzzi Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/peruzzi)
- [Old Mine Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/old-mine)
- [Old European Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/old-european)
- [T57 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/t57-round-brilliant)
- [DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-m5)
- [DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-miliano)
- [DG-Rafaello](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-rafaello)
- [DG-Bowtie](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-bowtie)
- [DG-Elongated Hexagon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-elongated-hexagon)
- [DG-Octagonal Kite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/dg-octagonal-kite)

### The Trillion Cut in other gemstones

- [Diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/diamond/trillion)
- [Moissanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/moissanite/trillion)
- [Cubic Zirconia](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/cubic-zirconia/trillion)
- [Ruby](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ruby/trillion)
- [Sapphire](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/sapphire/trillion)
- [Emerald](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/emerald/trillion)
- [Amethyst](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/amethyst/trillion)
- [Topaz](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/topaz/trillion)
- [Spinel](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spinel/trillion)
- [Demantoid](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/demantoid/trillion)
- [Zircon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/trillion)
- [Peridot](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/peridot/trillion)
- [Tanzanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tanzanite/trillion)
- [YAG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/yag/trillion)
- [Pyrope](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/pyrope/trillion)
- [Almandine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/almandine/trillion)
- [Spessartine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/trillion)
- [Grossular](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/grossular/trillion)
- [Chrysoberyl](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/chrysoberyl/trillion)
- [Kunzite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/kunzite/trillion)
- [Iolite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/iolite/trillion)
- [Morganite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/morganite/trillion)
- [GGG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ggg/trillion)
- [Strontium titanate](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/strontium-titanate/trillion)
- [Synthetic rutile](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/synthetic-rutile/trillion)