Cuts · Historic cuts

Old Single Cut

3D model and faceting diagram · 26 facets · 8.05 x 8.05 mm

The single cut, or eight cut: an octahedron with the top sawn off for a table and the corners bevelled to a regular octagon. Every crown facet is congruent and so is every pavilion facet, so the cut has exactly one crown angle and one pavilion angle.

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About the Old Single Cut

The single cut, or eight cut: an octahedron with the top sawn off for a table and the corners bevelled to a regular octagon. Every crown facet is congruent and so is every pavilion facet, so the cut has exactly one crown angle and one pavilion angle.

Today the same plan is still used for very small melee stones, where a full brilliant would be wasted.

Old Single Cut specifications

Measured from the delivered model, not quoted from a standard.

CategoryHistoric cuts
Facets26 planar facets (18 + 8 girdles = 26)
OutlineLength to width 1.000
Total depth67.5% of width
Table57.5% of width
Crown angle (main)40.0°
Pavilion angle (main)48.5°
Reference size8.05 x 8.05 x 5.43 mm at 2.00 ct in diamond
Volume113.64 mm³
Cutting file accuracyEvery crown and pavilion facet within 0.001° of the 3D model (average under 0.001°)
Index gear96
Symmetry8-fold mirror-image symmetry
Tiers1 crown, 1 pavilion
FilesSTEP, 3DM, STL, OBJ, FBX, GLB, GemCad .asc, tier table, diagram

Face-up and profile

Face-up: the crown facets, drawn from the model's own edges.
Profile: 67.5% total depth.
Light Return map of the Old Single Cut in diamond: a computed render showing direct, indirect and contrast light across the face-up stone.
Light Return map of the Old Single Cut in diamond. A computed render of the model's geometry, not a photograph.

The Old Single Cut in seven gemstones

The same geometry behaves differently in every material. Light that meets a pavilion facet at less than the stone's critical angle passes straight out of the back instead of reflecting, which shows face-up as a window. For each stone we measured how much of this model's pavilion, as seen face-down, is steeper than that angle, and what the model weighs at its reference size.

StoneRefractive indexCritical anglePavilion reflecting head-on lightWeight at this sizeVerdict
Diamond2.41724.4°99%2.00 ctHolds head-on light
Moissanite2.648 to 2.69122.2°99%1.83 ctHolds head-on light
Cubic Zirconia2.15 to 2.1827.7°99%3.30 ctHolds head-on light
Ruby1.762 to 1.77034.6°99%2.27 ctHolds head-on light
Sapphire1.762 to 1.77034.6°99%2.27 ctHolds head-on light
Emerald1.577 to 1.58339.4°99%1.55 ctHolds head-on light
Amethyst1.544 to 1.55340.4°99%1.51 ctHolds head-on light

Head-on light, first reflection. A full light-return census is part of the Brilliani Labs engine and will come to this page.

Old Single Cut: questions

What files come with the Old Single Cut 3D model?

Six formats: STEP (the exact faceted solid for CAD), 3DM for Rhino, STL and OBJ meshes, FBX for Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity and Unreal, and GLB for the web and AR. All are in millimetres at real-world scale, with 26 planar facets.

Is there a faceting diagram for the Old Single Cut?

Yes. The cutting files contain a GemCad .asc design (18 + 8 girdles = 26 facets, 96 index, 8-fold mirror-image symmetry), a tier table with angles, indices and cutting order in CSV, and a printable faceting diagram.

Does the Old Single Cut work in sapphire, emerald or amethyst?

We measured the pavilion of this model against the critical angle of each stone. In Diamond, Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, the whole pavilion reflects head-on light.

How accurate is the Old Single Cut cutting file?

We check it facet by facet against the 3D model it was written from. Every crown and pavilion facet within 0.001° of the 3D model (average under 0.001°). The angles are the ones you set on the machine; the 3D model is the same stone you render or set.

How big is the Old Single Cut model, and what does it weigh?

The model measures 8.05 x 8.05 x 5.43 mm, which is 2.00 ct in diamond. The same size weighs 1.83 ct in moissanite, 3.30 ct in cubic zirconia, 2.27 ct in ruby, 2.27 ct in sapphire, 1.55 ct in emerald, 1.51 ct in amethyst. Scale it uniformly to any size: weight follows the cube of the size.

Can I 3D print or cast the Old Single Cut model?

Yes. The mesh is watertight and manifold, with outward normals and no duplicate vertices, so it prints and casts without repair. Use the STEP file when you need the exact faceted solid in CAD.

More historic cuts

Get the Old Single Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Old Single Cut 3D files

The Old Single Cut as exact geometry: 26 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

  • STEPExact faceted solid for CAD
  • 3DMRhino, closed mesh on its own layer
  • STLWatertight mesh for printing and casting
  • OBJMesh for modelling and rendering
  • FBXBlender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
  • GLBWeb, AR and quick previews
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GemCad96 index

Old Single Cut cutting files

The Old Single Cut as a faceting design: 18 + 8 girdles = 26 facets, 96 index, 8-fold mirror-image symmetry, ready for the machine.

  • .ascGemCad design file, 96 index gear
  • .csvTier table: angles, indices and cutting order
  • DiagramPrintable faceting diagram
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