Fan Shield Cut - FIFan Shield Cut - FI

The Fan Shield Gemstone Cut


The Fan Shield cut will bring out the brilliance in gems with deep color saturation. Learn how to cut this design and create dark but lively gemstones.

1 Minute Read

The Fan Shield cut is designed to bring out maximum brilliance from deeply saturated colored gem material. Like the Pentafan design, this cut does a superb job. The technique of bringing the pavilion facets together at the corners, rather than the culet, works wonderfully.

Round Brilliant vs Fan Shield for Garnet

Fan Shield Cut - Garnet
Garnet with Fan Shield cut

I cut two stones from the same garnet material for comparison. One was cut as a Fan Shield. The other was cut as a standard round brilliant. Both were around 12 mm across, cut with low crown and pavilion angles.

The round gem performed predictably. It was mostly dark, with occasional flashes of light. Directly under the table, the Fan Shield gem was fairly subtle. However, it was hard to concentrate on that. All around the edges, light flashed constantly. The subtlest movement created a myriad changing reflections, making one of the liveliest stones I've ever seen.

For the faceter, this design allows higher yield in dark gems without sacrificing beauty. Furthermore, this cut was designed to be worn. Set on a ring, a Fan Shield gem will dazzle everyone in sight.

Fan Shield Cut: Diagrams

Fan Shield Cut - Diagrams
Fan Shield Cut. D. R. Jerkins, Designer.

Cutting Instructions

  • 96 Index Angles for RI 1.77
  • 64 facets + 6 on girdle = 70
  • L/W = 1.073 T/W = 0.549 T/L = 0.512
  • P/W = 0.416 C/W = 0.113 H/W = 0.549
  • P/H = 0.758 C/H = 0.205

Girdle

StepAngleIndexComments
G90º06-26-38-58-70-90Determine stone size

Either crown or pavilion may be cut first after the girdle is cut.

Pavilion

StepAngleIndexComments
140.0º96-32-64Cut to PCP
240.7º02-30-34-62-66-94Meet P1 @ Girdle
343.2º04-28-36-60-68-92Meet P1, P2 @ Girdle
446.0º05-27-37-59-69-91Meet P1, P2, P3 @ Girdle
553.2º06-26-38-58-70-90Meet P1, P2, P3, P4 Level Girdle
637.2º16-48-80Meet P5 @ Girdle & P1, P2 near Culet

Caution: Take extra care to make facets P1 through P5 point up at the girdle. Otherwise, facet P6 won't reach the appropriate P1, P2 meetpoint. This will result in a significant loss of scintillation due to proportional misalignment with the crown facets.

Crown

StepAngleIndexComments
119.0º14-18-46-50-78-82Cut to same mast height, set girdle thickness
220.5º11-21-43-53-75-85Meet C1 @ Girdle
322.9º09-23-41-55-73-87Meet C1, C2 @ Girdle
428.3º07-25-39-57-71-89Meet C1, C2, C3 @ Girdle
536.3º06-26-38-58-70-90Meet C1, C2, C3, C4 Level Girdle
630.1º96-32-64Meet C5 @ Girdle
7*0TableMeet C3, C4, C6, C4, C3

* Note: Tests have shown that a table that rests slightly higher than this meetpoint gives optimal brightness, but only by about 2%.


D. R. Jerkins

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