The Royal 201

The basics

The base of the brilliant cut diamond consists of the (Old) Single Cut diamond, or simple cut. The diamond is cut with seventeen facets. There are four cross corners, four bezels, four cross-angles, four pavilions, and the table.

Development

The Single Cut wasn’t actually the first diamond shape. In the diagram below, you see how the ideal diamond shape changed over the years.

Diamond cuts from left to right: Octahedron, Table Cut, Old Single Cut, Mazarin Cut, Peruzzi Cut, Old European Cut, and Tolkowsky. - An Octahedron is the ideal form for a rough diamond. You can hardly call this a diamond cut. This is how a diamond was worn before cutting and polishing techniques. - The Table Cut was the first rough diamond shape. The stone has still a square shape and has no rounded edges. - The Old Single Cut is the first cutting process to obtain a rounded diamond. This was created to optimize the sparkle and to avoid “dead angles”. - One of the very first steps towards the modern brilliant cut was the Mazarin Cut. This cut contains various facets to optimize the sparkle. - Peruzzi Cut is the prelude to the modern brilliant cut. The distribution between the facets on the bottom and the top is much better than in the Mazarin Cut. - The next step for the optimal refinement is the Old European Cut. The facets are almost exactly the same as for the modern day brilliant. Therefore, the Old European Cut is also seen as the final step towards the perfect Brilliant Cut. Tolkowsky’s: the first step to optimize and standardize the brilliant was in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky. At that time, many brilliant-like shapes were around. Everyone pretended to have the most beautiful, the most elegant and the most 'brilliant' one of all. But Mr. Tolkowsky tried to address it in a scientific way. As part of his studies, he invented a mathematical way to polish the brilliant and place the facets.

The Ideal cut

Tolkowsky’s scientific approach paid off. His mathematical polishing way resulted in a 57-faceted diamond with a sparkle that the world never saw before. Ever since Tolkowsky introduced the world his sparkling brilliant, people have been trying to top this. To create an even more sparkling diamond cut. However, all of them were unsuccessful. To this day, this shape is still the basis of the modern brilliant. It is also the foundation for many other cuts, like the marquise, pear shape, oval and heart-shape. For almost 100 years, people considered Tolkowsky’s cut the Ideal Brilliant Cut. That was until Donny and Bobby put their heads together…

The Road to Perfection

Donny Griffioen, Chief Purchasing Officer at Royal Coster Diamonds, has been fascinated by diamonds from an early age. How could he not? With a diamond dealer grandfather and uncles that are diamond polishers. Donny grew up in this profession. Soon he learned the optimal diamond shape and knew he could do better. For years, Donny studied light reflection and polishing shapes. When he started working at Royal Coster Diamonds, he met the Antwerp diamond merchant Bobby Low. Bobby appreciated young Donny’s enthusiasm - who was in his early 20’s back then. Together they went on a quest for the perfect cut. Finally, from 2002 until 2007, Donny and Bobby combined years of experience and craftsmanship with the latest technological developments in microscopic observation and tool making. The result was phenomenal: they found the perfect diamond cut.

Facets and sparkles

In theory, you can quite easily polish a few extra facets on a brilliant. Companies do it very often. However, in their quest for the most brilliant cut ever, Bobby and Donny knew it would require more than just a few extra facets. To obtain the perfect sparkle, you have to take the cutting angles and proportions into account. Bobby and Donny found out that the secret for the ultimate sparkle lied in the re-arrangement the crown facets and their angle. They combined this with amazing micro-faceting of the girdle. In total, the new cut consisted of 201 facets. This is the ideal number of facets. The image of a new diamond cut was born. Donny: “You might think that the more facets a brilliant has, the more light reflects and the more the diamond sparkles. But it doesn’t work that way. Many people tried to make diamond cuts with hundreds of facets but when you put these next to the 201, you see there is more than the number of facets. You see that 201 is the perfect number. And it has been since 2007.”

Not everyone can create a Royal 201

Bobby and Donny spent many late nights on their project: talking, sketching, cutting and polishing. In 2007, they revealed the new diamond cut. The Brilliant 2.0, so to say. They named their work “The Royal 201”, after its amount of facets. 201 facets means 144 facets more than on a 'regular' brilliant. Only highly experienced diamond polishers polish a rough diamond into a Royal 201. Because when a diamond polisher places a single facet slightly wrong, the light leaks through the pavilions and is lost forever. When you consider a Royal 201 polish loses 60% of the rough diamond it once was, you do not get second chances when polishing a Royal 201. But when it's done right, the Royal 201 takes “shine bright like a diamond” to a completely new level.

Exclusivity

The exclusivity of this cut is what we value most. Even more than the commercial value, because our shape is truly Royal. Royal Coster Diamonds is the only place where you can buy this exact diamond cut. We have a complete collection of beautiful diamond jewelry that is centered around the sparkle of the Royal 201

The Royal 201: The ultimate sparkle

Here at Royal Coster, we all have a special place in our hearts for the Royal 201. From management to goldsmith, from sales representative to diamond polisher.

The most brilliant collection

We have a brilliant collection starring the '201' in a dedicated showroom for this specific diamond cut. In this showroom, our most experienced staff is ready to help you to find your perfect Royal 201.

Sparkling tips for buying a Royal 201

But first, a few tips about the 'Royal 201’ that will help you to get the maximum out of your purchase.

• To enjoy the sparkle of a Royal 201 most, we recommend a diamond of at least 25 points (0.25 carat). Diamonds of 25 points and above show the sparkle of the diamond better than smaller diamonds.
• A 'Royal 201' needs to breathe for the best sparkle. That is why we recommend you use it in an open setting; like a solitaire.
• Diamond colors River, Top Wesselton and Wesselton shine the most. But other colors are also suitable. Especially for diamonds in a rose gold or yellow gold setting.
• Due to the many facets and possibilities for reflection in the stone, it is best to choose for a Pure, VVS or VS for Clarity.
• A '201' is beautiful in a solitaire setting but is also a beauty when surrounded by smaller brilliants of the same color.

Quality Assurance

If the Royals trust us, so can you. Quality control is the most important aspect of our craft. Every diamond has to meet special requirements. We cannot give you all our guidelines, but a normal finished diamond is usually only checked with a 10x magnifying loupe. But every freshly polished 'Royal 201' is first examined under a microscope to make sure everything is perfect. Every angle, every facet, the height of the crown and the depth of the pavilions and even the thickness of the girdle. All the aspects of the Royal 201 need to meet Royal Coster’s Quality Assurance.. If a 201 does not meet these requirements, it will return to the polisher. He or she will re-polish the stone until it meets our Royal standards. because when you purchase a Royal 201, you should know it is the result of the finest craftsmanship.

Discover our Royal 201 Collection.