The quest for the largest permeates all societies and disciplines. With the advent of new machinery and techniques, size records for faceted gemstones are falling constantly. Currently, a 22,898-ct yellow topaz holds the record for weight and a 19,548-ct citrine holds the record for size. This article discusses some of the more important gemstone giants, and describes the specialized equipment and techniques developed to cut and polish them.
The quest for the largest permeates all societies and disciplines. With the advent of new machinery and techniques, size records for faceted gemstones are falling constantly. Currently, a 22,898-ct yellow topaz holds the record for weight and a 19,548-ct citrine holds the record for size. This article discusses some of the more important gemstone giants, and describes the specialized equipment and techniques developed to cut and polish them.