Diamond Geezer

When South African diamond cutter Basil Watermeyer decided to show his wife, Marion, exactly how much he loved her, he didn’t just buy her a diamond, he spent 15 months designing one.
Classily conflating his name with hers (well, it was 1971) he came up with the Barion – an early example of the new breed of so-called ‘mixed diamonds’ which combined improved brilliance with greater weight.
Easily identified by its characteristic central cross pattern and boasting and impressive 62 facets, the Barion cut went on to inspire a host of diamond designs including the radiant, quadrillion, and princess cuts.