Jacob Arabov on Why the Jewelry Industry Needed a New Diamond Cut

By Karen Dybis | April 02, 2026

With 37 precisely calibrated facets, Jacob & Co.’s new patented and proprietary diamond cut, the Angel, was the brand’s greatest challenge—and is now its greatest achievement, says founder and chairman Jacob Arabov.

Jacob & Co. introduced the Angel to mark the company’s 40th anniversary, but the new diamond cut is also a tribute to Arabov’s own angel: his wife, Angela. They have been married 37 years—the same number as facets in the diamond. That is why Arabov considers the Angel both a technical innovation and a symbol of devotion.

“Angela has been my partner for 37 years. She has a quiet strength and a natural elegance that keep me grounded,” Arabov says. “The 37 facets representing our 37 years together are very personal to me. Diamonds represent something lasting, so tying that to our story made perfect sense.”

While Jacob & Co. is well known for its high-end watchmaking and jewelry, Arabov has always tried to add something uniquely his to the jewelry marketplace. His first patented diamond, the Jacob, was spherical, with a whopping 288 facets.

Angel Cut Jacob diamond — *The Jacob & Co. proprietary and patented Angel cut has 37 facets, one for each year of Jacob and Angela Arabov’s marrriage.*

“For me, legacy is about creating something that did not exist before and that will continue beyond you. Instead of reinterpreting existing cuts, I wanted to introduce something original that could become part of the industry’s future,” Arabov says.

In conceiving the Angel cut, Jacob & Co. sought to preserve the elegance and yield of a rectangular gemstone yet improve on its light return. One way to do that is increase the facets, but Jacob & Co.’s in-house team also thought about geometry.

As a result, an Angel-cut diamond has a distinctive lozenge-shape table set within a stepped rectangular outline with cut corners. This geometry directs the light, modulates it, and returns it with true control—more like classical music than heavy metal, you might say.

The Angel’s 37 facets may be significantly fewer than many traditional diamond cuts, but that number was all-important, and each of the 37 facets is working hard, Arabov says.

“We focused on geometry, on how light moves inside the diamond,” he explains. “This allowed us to preserve more of the original stone while still achieving a refined, controlled brilliance. We approached it through precision and proportion, and I hope it sets a new standard for what is possible.”

jacob and co — *The first use of Angel-cut diamonds is Jacob & Co.’s Billionaire Double Tourbillion watch; only 18 total will be made.*

In mid-March, Jacob & Co. debuted the unique Angel cut on a unique watch, a limited-edition version of its Billionaire Double Tourbillon. The company said it will produce only 18 of these timepieces, which are priced over $3 million each.

The watch’s 54 x 41 mm white gold case is illuminated by 98 Angel-cut diamonds (totaling 51.13 cts.), many of them unusually large—the type of size often reserved for center stones. This uninterrupted architecture of light extends to the dial, which boasts an arrangement of 88 Angel-cut diamonds and 80 baguette-cut stones. In total, the watch is set with 298 white diamonds totaling over 80 cts.

Developing the Angel cut took two years of demanding—and exciting—work, Arabov says. His Angela and his Angel are worth it, he adds.

“There was a lot of trial and refinement to get every proportion and detail exactly right,” says Arabov. “As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, this new release feels especially meaningful. It represents a new chapter for Jacob & Co., one where we move beyond historic cuts and define our own legacy in light.”

Top: Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabov dedicated his brand’s patented Angel-cut diamond to his wife of 37 years, Angela. (Photos courtesy of Jacob & Co.)