What prompted the unconventional heart-shaped cut for the Corazon Emerald ?
Conventionally emeralds are cut as “emerald-cut” stones, a shape and cut developed particularly for emeralds, because of its decreased toughness due to the presence of inclusions, even though the hardness of emeralds is quite high, being 7.5 to 8.0 on the Mohs scale. The emerald-cut is a rectangular or square shaped step-cut, with beveled corners that not only brings out the intrinsic beauty of the stone but also protects it from mechanical strain, during and after the cutting process. It is not known why a heart-shaped cut was imparted to the “Corazon Emerald.” Emerald cutters normally would not take a risk in trying to cut an emerald in a shape other than the conventional “emerald-cut.” This is because of the brittleness of the material and the enormous cost of the gemstones. However if the emerald has less inclusions which necessarily means enhanced toughness of the material, shapes and cuts other than the conventional emerald-cut may be tried out. This is exactly what the cutters o
