Brilliant Cutting

Brilliant cutting is the art of cutting designs and lettering into glass using a stone wheel.  It is traditionally seen in Victorian public houses in windows and mirrors. 

Brilliant cutting is usually used in conjunction with other techniques such as acid etching, gold leafing or sandblasting to create decorative panels.  The reverse side of the glass can be silvered to turn the decorative panel into a mirror.

To produce a brilliant cut panel, firstly the design is established, before this is drawn onto the glass.  It is then cut using the correct profile stone before being polished with a wooden wheel and pumice, to smoothen the cut.  The final polish is then applied with a felt wheel and polishing powder.

The cuts refract light and appear brighter than the surrounding panel.