Study Questions for Sections 15 & 16
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Section 15
15.01
#1 A person with many years of experience in polished
diamonds would need very little additional experience in the
business of buying and selling rough diamonds.
A. True
B. False
15.02
#1 A rough diamond’s final value will largely be dependent
on the…
A. layout and planning.
B. dealer who sells it.
C. origin.
15.03
#1 In choosing the diamond cutting factory for a rough
purchase you should always consider…
A. the cost of the cutting.
B. the expertise of the cutters.
C. the quality of the rough.
D. the size of the rough pieces.
E. all of the above.
#2 Which of the following diamond cutting shop
descriptions should you choose to polish a 10.00 G color
SI2 clarity?
A. An overseas shop with very cheap labor, excellent
weight retention and poor to fair polishes and
symmetry.
B. A New York shop with high labor rates and
excellent weight retention, given the excellent
polishes and symmetries that are supplied.
C. An overseas shop that specializes in inexpensive
goods.
#3 Is it practical to polish 0.50 ct. average size rough
diamonds in a shop that has a $125 minimum charge?
A. If diamonds are commercial qualities (G-J colors,
SI clarities), then yes.
B. If the shop has a reputation for excellent weight
retention, then yes.
C. Usually not.
15.04
#1 Clarity grading in rough diamond is not as important
since there is plenty of material available for removing the
inclusions.
A. True
B. False
#2 The easiest type of rough diamond to grade is a…
A. glassie.
B. octahedral crystal.
C. piece of bort.
15.05
#1 If visible inclusions are detected through the thick skin
of a rough diamond chances are…
A. it will fi nish in the SI1 range.
B. It will fi nish in the imperfect range.
C. it won’t cut at all due to the presence of knots.
#2 Rough diamond dealers will generally allow windows to
be placed on their goods before a price is agreed upon.
A. True
B. False
15.06
#1 The skin on a rough diamond can aff ect the color in
what way?
A. The fi nished product may be lower in color than the
skin.
B. The fi nished product may be higher in color than
the skin.
C. The fi nished product may be the same color as the
skin.
D. All of the above.
#15.07
#1 Extremely irregular shaped rough will generally lose…
A. less weight in cutting process.
B. more weight in the cutting process.
C. about the same as well shaped octahedral crystals.
15.08
#1 The most sought after rough is…
A. well formed octahedral crystals.
B. irregular shapes for fancy cuts.
C. macles.
#2 A well formed octahedral crystal is…
A. cube-like in shape.
B. pyramid shaped.
C. two pyramids joined at the bases.
15.09
#1 A macle is…
A. two crystals that have joined together while
forming.
B. an octahedral face that has been naturally cleaved
away.
C. a triangular indentation on the skin of a rough
diamond.
15.10
#1 Diamond cleavage is the same as…
A. a macle.
B. a trigon.
C. neither of the above.
#2 Diamond cleavage is a…
A. piece of a whole stone.
B. piece of a trigon.
C. piece of a feather that has fallen out.
15.11
#1 Trading in rough diamond is never a guaranteed profit.
A. True
B. False
Section 16
16.01
#1 In the early history of diamond cutting it was thought
that rough diamond lost its ______ if it was altered.
A. value
B. magical powers
C. badge of political clout
16.02
#1 It was once believed that diamond was able to…
A. heal sickness.
B. protect the carrier from evil spirits.
C. assist in the purification of the soul.
D. all of the above.
E. none of the above.
16.03
#1 The earliest recorded cut was the…
A. point cut.
B. table cut.
C. old mine cut.
16.04
#1 Terms used to describe diamond cutting could include…
A. cleaving, sawing and polishing.
B. bruting.
C. girdling.
D. all of the above.
16.05
#1 When a diamond is cleaved it is split ______ to the
octahedral planes.
A. perpendicular
B. parallel
C. 45 degrees
#2 A kerf is a groove used to cleave a diamond that is
notched out in the same direction as the cleavage plane.
A. True
B. False
#3 The disadvantage of cleaving is its…
A. inflexibility of direction.
B. large additional weight loss in the finished product.
C. lack of practicality on well formed octahedral
crystals.
#4 A serious risk in cleaving is the possibility of breaking
the diamond unintentionally.
A. True
B. False
16.06
#1 When diamond sawing was fi rst employed it could take
several ______ to divide one diamond.
A. hours
B. weeks
C. months
#2 In the process of sawing, the thin bronze blades are
attacking the influencing grain in a ______ direction.
A. parallel
B. perpendicular
C. 45 degree
#3 Sawing is the most common method of dividing
diamonds.
A. True
B. False
#4 What purpose would it serve to saw an octahedral
crystal off center?
A. Better weight retention.
B. Two different sizes for the purpose of higher value
return.
C. None of the above.
#5 Diamond sawing is even more risky than cleaving.
A. True
B. False
16.07
#1 Colored stone lapidary and diamond cutting are very
similar in process.
A. True
B. False
#2 The most significant reason in different approaches to
diamond cutting and colored stone cutting is…
A. their difference in color.
B. their difference in crystal systems.
C. their difference in hardness.
#3 The reason a diamond cutting bench is so heavy, is the
importance…
A. of lack of vibration.
B. in its ability in taking pressure.
C. of its ability in cutting faster.
16.08
#1 The first diamond cutting bench was powered by…
A. mules.
B. horses.
C. men.
16.09
#1 The modern diamond cutting wheel (scaife) is re
surfaced (scoured) to accommodate…
A. olive oil.
B. a diamond powder and oil mixture.
C. silicon carbide mixed with oil.
#2 Three different rings on the scaife are employed,
commonly described as…
A. starting, cutting and smoothing.
B. starting, cutting and faceting.
C. starting, cutting and bruting.
16.10
#1 Once the facet is close to the proper depth,
straightness and angle, it is finished in the…
A. faceting ring.
B. smoothing ring.
C. cutting ring.
16.11
#1 A diamond cutting dop works in unison with…
A. the cutter’s hand.
B. a special wrench.
C. a tang.
#2 A manual, old-style, copper stalk tang and the more
modern, semi-automatic tangs are both…
A. able to do fine diamond cutting insofar as the
cutter’s ability.
B. capable of adjustments for straightness and angle.
C. either of the above.
16.12
#1 The primary advantage of laser cutting in the dividing of
a diamond is…
A. the faceting ease.
B. the flexibility of cutting direction.
C. either of the above.
#2 The disadvantage of laser cutting in the dividing of a
diamond is…
A. the slight additional weight loss in polishing the
burned surface.
B. the danger of shattering the diamond.
C. the poor polish it leaves on the surface.
#3 The cleft in a heart shape can be cut with a laser.
A. True
B. False
16.13
#1 Another term for girdling is…
A. bruting.
B. faceting.
C. fashioning.
#2 Girdling is the process of shaping the diamond into
______ shape.
A. a straight-edge
B. an elliptical
C. an octagonal
#3 Girdling would be employed on a straight-edge cut only
if the corners were cut away.
A. True
B. False
16.14
#1 When girdling, the grain of the diamond is…
A. always considered.
B. a factor in the fi nal shape.
C. usually not considered.
#2 Why is the term bruting referred to as such?
A. The bruter is attacking the grain in a perpendicular
direction.
B. The bruter is forcing the material away regardless
of granular orientation.
C. The bruter is polishing the girdle with individual
facets.
16.15
#1 The earlier bruting methods included a device similar to
today’s…
A. cutting bench.
B. cleaving wedge.
C. scratch stick.
#2 In order to shape the diamond in the earlier and modern
methods of girdling it was necessary to…
A. cleave away excess material.
B. polish the pavilion facets fi rst.
C. always have an industrial quality diamond to
contact the gem quality diamond.
16.16
#1 In larger diamond cutting shops (factories) the stages of
cutting are usually…
A. broken down into specialty cutters.
B. broken down into cutting time limits.
C. neither of the above.
16.17
#1 In the first stage of the initial layout of a whole stone,
the cutter may first…
A. open up a table.
B. polish windows.
C. cleave it.
#2 Of the following scenarios which would a good cutter
want to avoid the most?
A. Leaving a small natural creeping into the crown.
B. Leaving a small open inclusion in the girdle.
C. Leaving an included crystal close to the culet.
#3 Typically, well formed octahedral crystals are…
A. cleaved.
B. sawed.
C. laser cut.
#4 When a cutter is starting a sawed diamond he will
always locate the table…
A. on the sawed plane.
B. opposite the sawed plane.
C. perpendicular to the sawed plane.
16.18
#1 Generally, a piece of rough will be easier to valuate
than a chipped, polished diamond.
A. True
B. False
16.19
#1 In the case of a large chip caused by an inclusion that
has broken away, you can always assume the inclusion has
completely disappeared.
A. True
B. False
16.20
#1 A large chip could potentially have an affect on the color
of a diamond.
A. True
B. False
16.21
#1 It is possible to calculate finished weight on a chipped
diamond by…
A. using the Table Reflection Method in determining
the depth.
B. using a weight estimation formula.
C. measuring from the depth of the chip for diameter
or depth measurement.
D. A, B & C
E. B & C
16.22
#1 Diamonds chip because…
A. their toughness is not rated excellent.
B. of stress in the granular structure.
C. of an inclusion on or near the surface.
D. of an extremely thin girdle.
E. B, C & D
F. of all of the above.
16.23
#1 In re-cutting a chipped diamond, which of the following
would usually cause additional weight loss?
A. Proportion improvement.
B. Matching original proportions.
#2 When estimating weight loss of a re-cut on a chipped
diamond which of the following should be considered first?
A. The depth of the chip.
B. The area of the chip
C. The location of the chip.
16.24
#1 When measuring a diameter from the deepest point in a
chip to its opposite you should always…
A. add 2/10ths of a millimeter for the final finished
diameter.
B. subtract 2/10ths of a millimeter for the final finished
diameter.
C. use that exact measurement.
16.25
#1 When estimating a re-cut on a modern, round brilliant
that has sustained a deep culet chip your main concern
should be…
A. an acceptable finished depth percentage.
B. an acceptable finished table size.
C. an acceptable finished diameter.
#2 In estimating weight loss in a diamond with a large culet
chip, you will need…
A. an existing diameter measurement minus 2/10ths
of a millimeter.
B. an existing depth measurement minus 2/10ths of a
millimeter.
C. the shallowest depth percentage that you would
accept in the finished diamond.
D. B & C
E. all of the above.
16.26
#1 When re-cutting old style cuts (Euros & mines) into
moderns, small to medium sized chips will always cause
additional weight loss.
A. True
B. False
16.27
#1 An old European cut with a very fl at pavilion and a
very heavy crown is unusual, due to the crystal formation it
came from.
A. True
B. False
16.28
#1 After deciding on an acceptable finished depth for a flat
Euro re-cut, one likely hazard is…
A. the misjudged culet size.
B. the high crown angles creating an even smaller
table and thus shrinking the depth even further.
C. the fl at pavilion angles.
D. all of the above.
#2 Given the following specs from an old European cut
diamond that you’ve chosen to re-cut, use the weight
estimation formula to calculate the finished weight. You’ve
decided to accept a 59.0% finished depth.
0.85 ct. Euro with 35 degree crown angles, 32 degree
pavilion angles, 48% table, 6.72 mm diameter, 3.22 mm
depth and several small to medium size chips around the
very thin girdle.
Choose the most likely finished weight:
A. 0.57 ct.
B. 0.60 ct.
C. 0.62 ct.
16.29
When choosing a diamond cutter the first priority should be....
A. their cutting fee schedule.
B. the number of cutter in the shop.
C. turnaround time.
D. honesty.
16.30
#1 Growing diamonds (unethically) is a term used for…
A. synthetic diamond production.
B. the unnoticeable switching of diamonds gradually
increasing the quality to the cutter’s benefit.
C. a radiation process used to increase actual weight.
16.31
#1 The most important of the following prerequisites of
choosing a diamond cutter is…
A. excellent weight retention with good to very good
finishes.
B. fair to good weight retention with excellent finishes.
C. one day turn-around.
16.32
#1 You can grade a cutter’s skill on ______, based on a
reputable lab report.
A. weight retention
B. polish and symmetry
C. proportions
D. all of the above
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