Antwerp: Diamond manufacturers are always looking for ways to innovate and bring new and better products into the market. One of the roads well-travelled toward innovation is the introduction of a new diamond shape or cut. But while Antwerp has seen its share of newly introduced modified cuts, it is not often that we encounter something unusual such as the “Buddha Cut,” a diamond polished in the shape of a meditating Buddha.

Conceived and designed by a Belgian diamond polisher with Buddhist beliefs, the cut stone+ features 33 crown facets, 21 pavilion facets in addition to the culet, and a polished girdle.

The Buddha-shaped diamonds are produced in three different versions, representing the Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha of India; a feminine form of Buddha, known as Kwan Yin to the Chinese and Kannon to the Japanese; and the Jinarat Buddha, an essential component in Thailand’s religious beliefs. These diamonds –which are in fact tiny sculptures — are available in heights that range from 5 to 12 mm, weighing between 0.30 and 3 carats. Each Buddha is laser-inscribed with an individual serial number on the girdle. There is also room for additional inscriptions.

These unique diamonds, manufactured by Antwerp based manufacturer the Buddha Diamond Company, will be on display during the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF), February 1-3, 2015.