The Mazarin, or double cut, is the first brilliant, from the mid-1600s. It has 34 facets in all, on a cushion outline with a wide, open culet.
In more detail
It has 16 crown facets plus the table. By tradition it is named after Cardinal Mazarin of France. It is the step between the single cut and the Peruzzi. Face up, its open culet shows as a dark spot.
Related terms
- Old single cut: The old single cut, or eight cut, has 8 facets above the girdle and 18 in all. They are a table, 8 crown facets, 8 pavilion facets and a culet.
- Peruzzi cut: The Peruzzi, or triple cut, is a cushion brilliant of the late 1600s with 58 facets. Its 32-facet crown has 8 bezels, 8 stars and 16 upper halves.
- Culet: The culet is the bottom point of the pavilion. It can also be a tiny facet, parallel to the table, that keeps the point from chipping.
- Brilliant cut: A brilliant cut is a cutting style with a crown of facets above a pavilion. Its facet angles return light and spread it into fire.