Transitional cut diamond set in platinum with emerald accents

Powered with Morse’s steam powered and electric bruting machines, as well as the electric diamond saw (invented in 1926), and driven with the expertise provided by Marcel Tolkowsky in his outline of perfection in diamond cutting, diamond cutters were much more capable of experimenting with new cuts and perfecting the ones that already existed. All of a sudden, there were a lot of ways to improve sparkle from the European cut: lowering the crown, creating a larger table, short star facets in the crown. The open culet at the bottom also became smaller and smaller, until it was only slightly noticeable with magnification.

This transitional period between the European cut and when diamond cutters could comfortably replicate the facet structure laid out by Tolkowsky gives us the transitional cut diamond. These stones are most commonly seen in diamonds from the late 1920s and early 1930s up to the 1940s or 50s. They are slightly different from the ideal round brilliant cut: a slightly raised table, a deeper girdle than would be considered ideal, and sometimes asymmetrical facet structure (better than a European cut, but not perfect). There was always a diamond cutter making slight changes based on what was necessary in his/her perspective to make the stone as beautiful as possible.