Cuts · Historic cuts

T57 Round Brilliant Cut

3D model and faceting diagram · 57 facets · 8.15 x 8.15 mm

The 57-facet round brilliant with a knife-edge girdle, cut to the proportions Marcel Tolkowsky published in Diamond Design in 1919. Nothing is added to the facet plan: table, 8 stars, 8 bezels, 16 upper halves, 8 pavilion mains and 16 lower halves.

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About the T57 Round Brilliant Cut

The 57-facet round brilliant with a knife-edge girdle, cut to the proportions Marcel Tolkowsky published in Diamond Design in 1919. Nothing is added to the facet plan: table, 8 stars, 8 bezels, 16 upper halves, 8 pavilion mains and 16 lower halves.

It is the last step in the evolution of the brilliant before the faceted girdle became standard: the historical baseline of the modern round, kept for teaching, comparison and period work.

T57 Round Brilliant Cut specifications

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

CategoryHistoric cuts
Facets57 planar facets
OutlineLength to width 1.000
Total depth59.2% of width
Crown angle (main)34.5°
Pavilion angle (main)40.8°
Reference size8.15 x 8.15 x 4.83 mm at 2.00 ct in diamond
Volume102.78 mm³
Cutting file accuracyEvery crown and pavilion facet within 0.030° of the 3D model (average 0.013°)
Index gear96
Symmetry8-fold mirror-image symmetry
Tiers3 crown, 2 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: 59.2% total depth.
Light Return map of the T57 Round Brilliant Cut in diamond: a computed render showing direct, indirect and contrast light across the face-up stone.
Light Return map of the T57 Round Brilliant Cut in diamond. A computed render of the model's geometry, not a photograph.

The T57 Round Brilliant 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. The pavilion mains of this design sit at 40.8°. As a rule of thumb a round design needs about 43.5° in amethyst for head-on light to reflect twice before it leaves the crown, so the mains are worth steepening for ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst.

StoneRefractive indexCritical anglePavilion reflecting head-on lightWeight at this sizeVerdict
Diamond2.41724.4°100%1.81 ctHolds head-on light
Moissanite2.648 to 2.69122.2°100%1.65 ctHolds head-on light
Cubic Zirconia2.15 to 2.1827.7°100%2.98 ctHolds head-on light
Ruby1.762 to 1.77034.6°100%2.06 ctHolds head-on light
Sapphire1.762 to 1.77034.6°100%2.06 ctHolds head-on light
Emerald1.577 to 1.58339.4°100%1.40 ctHolds head-on light
Amethyst1.544 to 1.55340.4°100%1.36 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.

T57 Round Brilliant Cut: questions

What files come with the T57 Round Brilliant 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 57 planar facets.

Is there a faceting diagram for the T57 Round Brilliant Cut?

Yes. The cutting files contain a GemCad .asc design (57 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 T57 Round Brilliant 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. The pavilion mains of this design sit at 40.8°. As a rule of thumb a round design needs about 43.5° in amethyst for head-on light to reflect twice before it leaves the crown, so the mains are worth steepening for ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst.

How accurate is the T57 Round Brilliant Cut cutting file?

We check it facet by facet against the 3D model it was written from. Every crown and pavilion facet within 0.030° of the 3D model (average 0.013°). 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 T57 Round Brilliant Cut model, and what does it weigh?

The model measures 8.15 x 8.15 x 4.83 mm, which is 2.00 ct in diamond. The same size weighs 1.65 ct in moissanite, 2.98 ct in cubic zirconia, 2.06 ct in ruby, 2.06 ct in sapphire, 1.40 ct in emerald, 1.36 ct in amethyst. Scale it uniformly to any size: weight follows the cube of the size.

Can I 3D print or cast the T57 Round Brilliant 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 T57 Round Brilliant Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

T57 Round Brilliant Cut 3D files

The T57 Round Brilliant Cut as exact geometry: 57 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

T57 Round Brilliant Cut cutting files

The T57 Round Brilliant Cut as a faceting design: 57 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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