Who is a cleaver?

Who is a cleaver?

• A. A chemical that erases inclusions.
• B. A person who cleaves, or splits, a diamond along a cleavage plane; the cleaver might also be responsible for planning the fashioning of a polished gem.
• C. A device used to measure stone clarity.
• D. A type of trimming tool for girdle.

Answer: (B)

In diamond work, a cleaver is the person who cleaves, or splits, a rough diamond along a natural cleavage plane. This role may also involve planning how to fashion the remaining pieces into a polished gem, choosing the orientation to maximize yield and beauty. It’s not a chemical used to erase inclusions, nor a device for measuring clarity, nor a trimming tool for the girdle—the term specifically refers to the person who splits the rough stone. Cleaving relies on understanding the diamond’s crystal structure and where its planes of weakness lie, so splitting the stone happens along those planes rather than arbitrarily.

In diamond work, a cleaver is the person who cleaves, or splits, a rough diamond along a natural cleavage plane. This role may also involve planning how to fashion the remaining pieces into a polished gem, choosing the orientation to maximize yield and beauty. It’s not a chemical used to erase inclusions, nor a device for measuring clarity, nor a trimming tool for the girdle—the term specifically refers to the person who splits the rough stone. Cleaving relies on understanding the diamond’s crystal structure and where its planes of weakness lie, so splitting the stone happens along those planes rather than arbitrarily.