This article examines the sophisticated techniques and equipment currently used to fashion a polished gem from a rough diamond. The basic manufacturing techniques— sawing, bruting, blocking, and polishing—are described with regard to the decisions that must be made to obtain the greatest value from a specific piece of rough. Over the last 25 years, the diamond-cutting industry worldwide has been revolutionized by sophisticated instruments for marking, laser sawing machines, laser kerfing machines, automatic bruting machines and laser bruting systems, automatic centering systems, and automatic polishing machines.
