A notch scratched into diamond rough to prepare it for cleaving is called?

A notch scratched into diamond rough to prepare it for cleaving is called?

• A. Kerf
• B. LDH
• C. Irradiation
• D. Lamproite

Answer: (A)

The notch scratched into rough diamond to prepare it for cleaving is called a kerf. Cutters create a shallow groove along a chosen cleavage plane so the stone will split predictably when pressure is applied. This notch deliberately weakens the crystal along that plane, guiding the fracture rather than allowing an uncontrolled break in random directions. Other terms don’t describe this preparatory groove: irradiation is a color-altering treatment, lamproite is a rock type that can host diamonds, and LDH isn’t related to the cleaving step.

The notch scratched into rough diamond to prepare it for cleaving is called a kerf. Cutters create a shallow groove along a chosen cleavage plane so the stone will split predictably when pressure is applied. This notch deliberately weakens the crystal along that plane, guiding the fracture rather than allowing an uncontrolled break in random directions. Other terms don’t describe this preparatory groove: irradiation is a color-altering treatment, lamproite is a rock type that can host diamonds, and LDH isn’t related to the cleaving step.