Facets of exchange between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula

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Notes

1 For an excellent overview of such scholarship, see Liang et al. (2013, 19–21).

2 The cutter cuts the rough stone in such a manner that the stone yields maximum value. To bring out the brilliance and sparkle from the rough stone, it requires great skill and art from the cutter. The process of gemstone faceting is lengthy and complex, which involves the following tasks: Planning (rough crystal is first analysed, the final shape is decided so as to retain its maximum weight along with removal of inclusions. These considerations are given so that the stone fetches its maximum value; Cleaving (the rough crystal is divided into separate pieces so that they can be finished as separate ones. Some rough crystals are found in good shape so those are directly passed to the cutting stage; Sawing (it is done when it cannot be done by cleaving); Bruiting (in this stage, another stone in the lathe is rubbed against it. This leads to rounding by grinding away the pointed edges); Brillianteering (to cut and polish large pieces for extra 40 facets (star, upper girdle and lower girdle facets) in order to create a round brilliant cut with 58 facets); Polishing (this is the final stage of the cutting process when facets are cut on and the final polishing is done. In this stage, blocking is the first step. In a round piece, the ‘blocker’ polishes 18 facets one by one (table, bezel, culet and pavilion main facets). They must be cut to an exact measurements and angles to maintain symmetry and yield maximum brilliance); Identifying imperfections (their locations and the feasibility of their removal); Final approval (after faceting is complete, the gemstone is inspected and approved. When the cutting and polishing process is finished, the piece is ready to be set in jewellry and begins its ‘new biography’).