BBS
by Tom Herbst

This is a simple, stretched triangle cushion that performs very well. This design was originally intended for a piece of blue Aussie sapphire and given the inspired name "BS" (Blue Sapphire). The sapphire turned out well, albeit a little saturated. I recognized that the design was sound, and adjusted the angles for beryl, leading to the equally inspired name "BBS" (Beryllized Blue Sapphire). Atta boy, Shakespeare.

BBS is a straightforward design, and is appropriate to all skill levels.The design fits readily into commercial Tripps-type mountings. BOG-optimized for ISO and tilt.

At right is a 6x8 mm 0.74 carat BBS cut in Aquamarine. This material had a very crumbly zone, leading to the major flow in the lower left corner.