What made fancy brilliants easier to make and more affordable?

• A. Automation of polishing
• B. Lower-grade rough supply
• C. New marketing standards
• D. Technological breakthroughs

Answer: (D)

Technological breakthroughs in how diamonds are cut and produced let cutters design and finish complex fancy shapes with greater accuracy, speed, and efficiency. Computer-aided facet planning and precision faceting machines enable precise symmetry and optimal light performance for non-round shapes, which used to be harder and more wasteful to produce. Laser and advanced polishing tools speed up steps that used to take longer and leave less-consistent results, while improvements in workflow and automation reduce waste from each piece of rough. As a result, more stones can be produced from the same rough stock, with consistent quality and lower labor costs, which drives down prices. All these advances—planning, machinery, and processing improvements—together explain why fancy brilliants became easier to make and more affordable.