Diamond Cutting Services

150 Years of Cutting Mastery

The Gavin family has been cutting diamonds since the 1880s, when our ancestors apprenticed in the renowned Amsterdam Deutz tradition — the birthplace of modern diamond cutting. Five generations later, Brian Gavin carries that legacy forward as one of the world's foremost authorities on diamond light performance, known in the trade as "Brian the Cutter."

This is not a factory operation. Every stone we cut or recut receives the direct attention of a fifth-generation master cutter whose family has devoted nearly 150 years to understanding how light moves through diamond crystal. Our commitment has always been the same: beauty over weight retention — a philosophy connecting directly to Henry Morse's revolutionary Boston tradition of the 1860s, when cutters first dared to sacrifice carat weight in pursuit of superior brilliance.

Brian Gavin pioneered the "Superideal" category in 1998, founded the original A Cut Above brand, and holds three U.S. patents for diamond cutting innovations. When you entrust a diamond to our care, you are working with the inventor of the standards that define modern precision cutting.

Beauty Over Weight

The diamond industry has long prioritized weight retention — cutting to preserve the maximum number of carats from rough crystal. This approach maximizes profit for the cutter at the expense of the diamond's beauty. We take the opposite approach.

Our Optical Balance philosophy, validated by AGS research, optimizes the interaction of brilliance, fire, and scintillation within every stone. This means:

• Brilliance — Maximum white light return through precisely calibrated crown and pavilion angles
• Fire — Spectral dispersion that creates flashes of color as the diamond moves
• Scintillation — The dynamic contrast pattern of light and dark that gives a diamond life

The difference between a mathematically precise cut and an optically balanced cut is subtle but profound. Mathematical precision alone does not guarantee optimal light performance. Our approach considers the complete optical system — how every facet interacts with every other facet to create the most beautiful possible result.

Optical Symmetry vs. Meet Point Symmetry

An important distinction that most buyers never learn: the "symmetry" grade on a lab report measures meet point symmetry — whether facet junctions align precisely. This is a mechanical measurement. Optical symmetry is something entirely different — it describes how symmetrically light performs within the diamond.

A stone can receive an "Excellent" symmetry grade from GIA yet still display poor optical symmetry. Our cutting achieves both.

Measurable Innovation, Not Marketing

Brian Gavin is one of very few diamond cutters in the world to hold U.S. patents for cutting innovations. These patents represent measurable, reproducible standards — not marketing terminology.

The Gavin Effect® — Round Brilliant

U.S. Patent No. 10,405,618

A patented process for maximizing fire and brilliance in the modern round brilliant cut. The Gavin Effect achieves light return levels that consistently exceed industry "Excellent" grades, creating diamonds that perform at a level fewer than 1% of all rounds achieve. True Hearts & Arrows patterning — verified through precise optical analysis — is a hallmark of this cut.

Cushion Hearts & Arrows

U.S. Design Patent No. D639,202

Before Brian Gavin's patent, the cushion cut had no standardized performance benchmark. This innovation brought Hearts & Arrows precision to the cushion shape for the first time, creating a repeatable standard for optical symmetry in a shape traditionally valued for its warmth rather than its precision.

Light Performance Emerald Cut

U.S. Patent No. 10,448,713

The emerald cut's step-cut faceting presents unique challenges for light performance optimization. Brian Gavin's patented approach addresses the inherent light leakage issues in traditional emerald cuts, creating a stone that retains the elegant hall-of-mirrors aesthetic while dramatically improving brilliance and contrast.

Our cutting services are available to collectors, investors, dealers, and anyone who owns a diamond that deserves better than what it currently shows. Every engagement begins with a personal consultation with Brian Gavin.

Transforming Underperforming Diamonds

Many diamonds — even those graded "Excellent" by GIA — leave significant beauty on the table. A recut by a master cutter can transform a diamond's appearance, sometimes dramatically.

When Recutting Makes Sense

• Underperforming cuts — Diamonds that lack brilliance, display excessive light leakage, or show uneven scintillation patterns despite respectable lab grades
• Damaged stones — Chipped, abraded, or scratched diamonds that can be restored to their full potential
• Estate diamonds — Older cuts (Old European, Old Mine, Transitional) that owners wish to modernize while preserving maximum weight
• Symmetry correction — Stones with poor optical symmetry that would benefit from precision realignment of facets
• Investment optimization — Diamonds where improved cut quality would significantly increase market value beyond the cost of recutting and any weight loss

What to Expect

Brian Gavin personally evaluates every recut candidate. Not every diamond is a good candidate — sometimes the potential improvement does not justify the weight loss, or the stone's characteristics limit what recutting can achieve. We provide an honest assessment before any work begins, including projected weight loss, expected performance improvement, and the impact on value.

From Crystal to Finished Gem

For clients who acquire rough diamonds — whether at tender, through dealers, or from estate acquisitions — we offer complete custom cutting services from rough to polished.

Planning & Analysis

Rough Diamond — Various Shapes

Every rough diamond presents unique decisions. Crystal shape, inclusions, internal stress, and color distribution all influence the cutting plan. Brian Gavin analyzes each stone to determine the optimal cutting strategy — balancing yield, beauty, and market value. For significant rough, we use advanced scanning and modeling to evaluate multiple cutting scenarios before making the first mark.

Shape Selection

The shape that maximizes weight is not always the shape that maximizes beauty or value. We advise on shape selection based on the rough crystal's natural characteristics, your objectives, and market dynamics. A slightly smaller stone with superior light performance and proportions will almost always command a better price per carat — and deliver more beauty — than a larger stone cut to mediocre proportions.

Cutting & Polishing

The actual cutting process is executed to the precision standards that define Brian Gavin's five-generation legacy. Every facet is placed with attention to the complete optical system, not just individual facet alignment. The result is a finished diamond that performs at the highest level the rough crystal permits.

A Fundamentally Different Approach

Cutting fancy color diamonds requires a fundamentally different approach than cutting colorless stones. With colorless diamonds, the goal is to maximize light return and minimize color. With fancy colors, the goal is the opposite — to maximize color saturation and intensity while maintaining the best possible brilliance.

Color Optimization

Proper proportions can increase a fancy color diamond's apparent color intensity by one to two grades — a difference that significantly impacts both beauty and market value. A Fancy Intense stone cut to maximize color retention can face up as Fancy Vivid. Conversely, poor proportions can dilute a naturally vivid crystal into a Fancy Intense or even Fancy grade, destroying substantial value.

Shape Considerations for Color

Different shapes interact with color differently. Radiant and cushion cuts tend to concentrate and enhance color, making them popular choices for yellows and pinks. The round brilliant's 58-facet design disperses light efficiently — ideal for colorless diamonds but challenging for color retention. True Fancy Vivid rounds are exceptionally rare precisely because the shape works against color saturation, commanding 20–30% premiums over other shapes when available.

Colors We Specialize In

• Yellow & Canary (Type Ib) — Maximizing the vivid saturation that collectors prize
• Pink — Preserving the delicate color that originates from crystal lattice distortion
• Blue (Type IIb) — Balancing the unique optical properties of boron-bearing diamonds
• Green — Carefully preserving the color "skin" created by natural radiation exposure
• Orange, Red, Violet — Each presenting unique cutting challenges that require specialized expertise

How much weight will my diamond lose in a recut?

Weight loss varies depending on the stone's current proportions and the target performance level. Minor symmetry corrections may cost less than 2–3% of total weight. A full recut to Superideal standards typically involves 5–15% weight loss. Brian provides a detailed projection before any work begins, and in many cases the per-carat value increase more than compensates for the weight reduction.

Is recutting worth it financially?

In many cases, yes. A one-carat diamond that moves from a generic "Excellent" grade to true Superideal performance can see a 15–30% increase in per-carat value. For fancy color diamonds, improving the apparent color by even one grade through better proportions can increase value by 30–50% or more. We only recommend recutting when the economic case is clear.

Can any diamond be improved by recutting?

No. Some diamonds are already well cut for their crystal characteristics. Others have internal features (inclusions, strain, color zoning) that limit improvement. Brian's initial evaluation is designed to give you an honest assessment — we will tell you if recutting is not advisable.

How long does the process take?

Simple recuts typically require two to four weeks. Custom cutting from rough may take four to eight weeks depending on the complexity of the stone and the cutting plan. Certification adds additional time depending on the chosen laboratory.

Do you work with lab-grown diamonds?

Our cutting services are available for both natural and lab-grown diamonds. The physics of light performance applies equally regardless of origin. However, our primary expertise and passion is natural diamonds, particularly rare fancy colors and Type II stones.

Is my diamond insured during the process?

Yes. All diamonds in our care are fully insured from the moment of receipt through return delivery. We provide documentation of insurance coverage as part of our standard process.

All consultations are complimentary and without obligation.