This page gathers the stones in our collection cut in fancy shapes — outlines that depart from the classical round, including the freer, less symmetrical or sculptural silhouettes a cutter may choose when following the character of a particular piece of rough. Fancy cutting is often a decision made in service of the stone itself: to preserve weight, to work around an inclusion, or to orient the crystal so that its finest colour faces upwards.
The varieties represented here are teal sapphire, blue zircon, aquamarine, scapolite and tanzanite. Each behaves differently under a fancy outline. Sapphire's hardness and durability suit it well to unusual edges and points; zircon's high dispersion and lustre reward a cut with generous facet play; aquamarine's pale, even colour benefits from a design that lengthens the light path; tanzanite is strongly pleochroic, so the cutter's chosen orientation determines the balance of violet and blue you see face-up.
When choosing, weigh colour face-up first, then how the shape will sit in a setting — irregular outlines often call for bespoke mounts — and finally the relative hardness of the variety against the wear the finished jewel will receive.
