These Stars are not in the Heavens

Israeli master diamond cutter Mordechai (Moti) Turgeman, inventor of the Brilliant Star Diamond Collection, knows that stars are not only found in the heavens.

His four patented diamond cuts – Wishing Star, Angel Star, Sun Star, and Hearts & Star - introduced this year, are all based on "the starlight faceting effect" that Turgeman created.

These utilize the direction of the light reflecting off of the facets to create unique star patterns that shine through the diamonds.

The star designs of the Brilliant Star Collection are easily visible to the viewer. The Wishing Star is a round, 74 faceted diamond, with a 6 pointed star at its heart. The Angel Star is a pentagon, 57 faceted diamond, with a 5 pointed star in the center.

The Sun Star is a 97 faceted round, with an 8 pointed star resembling the sun, and Hearts & Star is a round 81 faceted diamond displaying a 5 pointed star, surrounded by 5 hearts. All of the cuts are available from 0.25 carats and up.

According to Turgeman, the "starlight facets effect" works similar to a mirror effect, with the light bouncing off the star facets on the table to the opposite facets on the pavilion of the stone, leaving stars along the way.

"In both rounds and fancies it's very important that the facets are carefully positioned to play with the light in such a way that the result is an exceptionally brilliant star effect. The color and quality are secondary in these specialized cuts, because the focus is on this celestial star that shines out from the center of the diamond," said Turgeman.

Turgeman explained that he developed the Brilliant Star cuts as he sought to create something more unusual than an ordinary round solitaire. "I began by drawing different diamond shapes but needed to find out if these could be implemented.

By using the most advanced computer software, I discovered that my diamonds were definitely possible to produce, but that I needed to build special tools and machinery in order to do so, which I did," he said.

Turgeman invented the "star facets effect" and then incorporated this into the multi-faceted shapes that make up the collection. Today Turgeman's high-precision polishing technique is implemented at his modern Ramat Gan plant, where he is assisted by a team of highly skilled craftsman.

Turgeman himself is involved with every Brilliant Star Diamond – especially with the marking of the rough and the decisions about the facet placement. The company introduced these new cuts at the JCK Show in Las Vegas this year. Turgeman said that the response was very positive.

"The great potential of these new cuts in the American market and other markets was evident by the very positive reactions we received from buyers at this show. We believe that these cuts will appeal to the taste of consumers who are seeking diamonds that are truly unique but at the same time affordable," he said.