cut steel | ˈkət stēl
noun
Steel studs that have been machine stamped, cut with facets, and highly polished
Before electricity, the faceted steel was considered brilliant, providing a true illustration of gemstones even in candlelight. Specifically, cut steel was brought into play from roughly 1750 to 1870, however, it was particularly vulnerable to corrosion and rust. Fast forward to today, there is not much cut steel available, and even so, it is still quite the mission to find some that is in proper condition. Unquestionably, if cut steel becomes wet, it is prone to rusting and is difficult to clean or polish. In terms of jewelry, the more petite the pieces of cut steel were, the older the piece was. Cut steel designs may be intensified by the use of multiple sized studs. Each and every stud may have up to 15 facets. What’s more, the more delicate the piece, the more facets the studs will have. Cut Steel became less popular around the 19th century.
