This month at Le Arret, we're celebrating December's birthstones — tanzanite and blue zircon — alongside a guide to understanding how diamond cuts affect sparkle and brilliance.
Featured This Month:
A Novo Style Diamond Ring
'Tis the season for sparkle.
Surprise that special someone this Christmas with a gift that shines from every angle. A stunning novo style setting reveals the true brilliance of every stone — the perfect match for someone who is one of a kind.
For private viewings and bespoke inquiries, contact us at info@learret.com
December's Birthstones: Tanzanite & Blue Zircon
Tanzanite
Its global rise began when Tiffany & Co. named and introduced it to the world, quickly elevating tanzanite to one of the most sought-after modern gemstones. Discovered in 1967, tanzanite is rarer than diamonds — found in only one location on Earth, a small 4km strip near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Its deep violet-blue hue makes it one of the most distinctive and collectible stones in fine jewelry today.
Blue Zircon
Blue zircon is one of the world's oldest and most brilliant natural gemstones, known for its intense diamond-like sparkle and vivid electric-blue colour. Often mistaken for synthetic stones, its natural brilliance and ancient origins give it a luxurious, heritage-rich appeal that sets it apart from modern alternatives.
How Diamond Cuts Affect Sparkle
A diamond's sparkle isn't just about its size — it's all about how light interacts with it. Facets are the flat surfaces cut into a diamond, and their arrangement determines how light reflects and disperses, creating that signature brilliance and fire.
Brilliant Cut
Facet pattern: Many small, precisely angled facets arranged to maximize light reflection.
Sparkle effect: Creates maximum brilliance and fire — lots of tiny flashes of white and coloured light, making the stone lively and eye-catching. Examples: Round brilliant, princess cut.
Step Cut
Facet pattern: Large, rectangular facets arranged in parallel steps along the crown and pavilion.
Sparkle effect: Produces broad, mirror-like flashes of light rather than scattered sparkle, emphasizing clarity over brilliance. Examples: Emerald cut, Asscher cut.
The key difference: Brilliant cuts create lively, dazzling sparkle, whereas step cuts create elegant mirror-like flashes and emphasize the clarity and depth of the stone.
Our team specializes in sourcing the perfect stone, curated exclusively for your piece and your vision.
Book a Complimentary Consultation
Ready to find your perfect stone? Book a complimentary one-on-one consultation with our team.