All elegant and expensive diamonds start life as Diamonds in the Rough. They must first be sorted according to certain categories before being sold:
ROUGH DIAMOND SHAPES
Octahedron
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The predominant rough diamond shape is that of the octahedron which has eight sides or faces and six vertices.
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Dodecahedron
A dodecahedron has 12 sides or faces and twenty vertices that give the rough diamond a smoother, less angular appearance than the octahedron. The faces on the dodecahedron as smaller and there are more of them giving the perception that the gem is somewhat bloated.
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Octahedrons and dodecahedrons comprise about 50% of all rough diamonds in a typical deposit.
There are also Rhombododecahedral - Twelve-sided diamonds with rhomboidal faces as well as Cube-shaped diamonds.
Cubes
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Diamonds can also occur in the shape of a cube. This is not unusual as a diamond has a cubic crystalline structure. Cube shape diamonds, however, are rarely gem quality and tend to be better-suited for industrial (non-gem quality) uses. |
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