|
Once there was a dream – to produce a more brilliant diamond than
had ever been seen before...And we’ve done it!
The
History of the 144-Facet® Diamond
The 144-Facet® Diamond was originally invented by James and Harry Huisman in the late 1960s. It was subsequently patented worldwide and granted trademarks for the number "144", and for the slogan, "World's Most Brilliant Diamond".
At that time, the "144" was the only patented Diamond in the world!
The "144" has pattern AND process patents.
Prior to the "144", Diamond cutting had been an evolving process. Diamond cutting had been steadily improving since the 1800's, as knowledge about Diamond optics improved, and improved Diamond cutting tools were invented. But Diamonds are the hardest substance known. Because of this, cutting a Diamond is much more difficult than cutting any other gemstone. In addition, Diamonds were also the most valuable of all gemstones. The prevailing custom at this point was to save as much weight as possible. Therefore, Diamond proportioning was very inconsistent, and there were no widely accepted cutting standards.
A monumental change in Diamond cutting practices occurred as a result of the publication of a mathematical proportion formula in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky.
His proportion formula attempted to determine which angles and facet sizes would produce a Diamond with the best compromise of brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation.
Although his mathematics were faulty, the resulting Diamonds were very beautiful, and in general were considered an improvement. As a result, within a matter of a decade, almost all Diamond cutters were using
his suggested proportions as a template for what today is called a Modern Round Brilliant Cut Diamond. Generally speaking, almost all Diamond cutters today still use the 58 facet Tolkowsky template,
with some minor deviations to help with weight retention.
Almost 50 years later, the 144-Facet® Diamond was invented. The "144" is based on an improved optical model in which the extra additional facets redirect more light through the top of the Diamond.
Computer modeling has demonstrated that the light that emerges from the top of the 144-Facet® Diamond is focused into a more compact zone which results in a more brilliant and sparkling appearance.
In 1969, the Carl Zeiss Optical Laboratory completed a year-long study in which 58 facet diamonds were optically tested against 144-Facet® Diamonds of comparable dimensions.
The Zeiss report concluded that the 144-Facet® Diamond is 32% more brilliant than the 58 facet Diamond.
The "144" was ahead of it's time in so many ways. It was the first Diamond to be granted patents and registered trademarks for its facet pattern, it was the first diamond to be optically tested, and it has had the most exclusive distribution
of any Diamond brand. The Perlman stores became Chicago's exclusive representative in 1974, and because of our dedicated commitment to the "144" and our highly successful relationship with the Huismans,
in 1983 we were offered the opportunity become a marketing partner and to control the distribution of the "144" in 10 Midwestern states. In 1986 we were offered the ultimate opportunity – to purchase the Huismans' factory,
and take over production and worldwide distribution of the "144". In 1990, the Perlmans built a new factory in Puerto Rico, where production continued until 2000. Starting in 2000, the "144" was cut in Belgium in partnership with a cutter in Antwerp.
More recently, the Perlmans have worked with cutters in America and Canada, which allows us to still produce the 144-Facet® Diamond with the same uncompromising standards as always.
Below you will see the facet patterns for the various shapes of 144-Facet® Diamonds. The extra facets on the Pavilion (bottom half) of the "144" create a slightly steeper, more parabolic profile, similar to a car headlight or a radio antenna. This enables the "144" to redirect the emerging light into a more compact, more vertical zone, which results in more brilliance and sparkle.
  
  
Click here to see an amazing video of the 144-Facet® Diamond!
|
