Diamond and Sapphire Brooch of Bouquet Design

• Brilliant Cut - In their naturally occuring state diamonds have little life or sparkle and for many centuries were simply cut in half and worn in amulets. Invented at the end of the 17th century by a Venetian diamond cutter, a "brilliant cut" diamond has 58 facets arranged in a regular geometric relationship, with 33 above the crown and 25 below on the pavilion.
  
  The introduction of the brilliant cut increased the popularity of diamonds in jewellery as it was the first cut to reveal the fire of the diamond, with the light being internally reflected from one facet to another, and was superior to the previously used table cut and rose cut.Variants to the brilliant cut have emerged since the end of the 17th century, but the popularity of the original brilliant cut has continued to the present time, where it is still the most commonly found cut.
  
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This item has been included into following indexes:

• brooches, depicting - bouquet of flowers 97
• brooches, diamond - diamond and sapphire 401
• brooches, set with
  • diamonds 495
  • sapphires not gold 109
• Melba, Dame Nellie (Australia) - property from the collection of Dame Nellie 141