Cut Gems and Stormlight Capacity

[Halyo_Alex]

No big, mind-blowing (or head-scratching) theory from me this time, just some genuine curiosity. It's explained during SA that cut gemstones hold stormlight better. And at first glance, with gut feelings, that makes sense. Of course putting effort into making the gem smooth and well-shaped would make it hold stormlight better.

But why? Is it because it reduces the number of facets that stormlight could "emerge" through, as if each facet can only support a certain flow rate? If that's the case, why aren't all stormlight-holding gems cut as triangular prisms (the shape of a d4)? That would limit the number of facets to 4, obviously, but we don't see that. Is it then a function of the surface area of each facet? In that case, all gems ought to be polished into a spherical shape (much like the name "spheres" would imply, for their currency). That would make numerous small facets, which would bottleneck the stormlight flowing out, if that were the case.

I think the real answer is that it's both, to an extent. The number of facets and their surface area. In that way, it would take skill and precision to cut the right amount of facets in the right shape in a gem to find the optimal balance; and that balance, when struck perfectly, is what a Perfect Gemstone is.

In fact, perhaps the relative angle between the various facets is another factor. In that sense, other shapes with the same number and size of facets would still hold stormlight differently. So there may be an ideal shape, with specifically sized facets in a specific number that lead to no stormlight leaking at all. It may, indeed, require the skill and power of a Radiant to properly shape a gemstone into that shape with enough precision to truly strike that perfect balance and make a perfect gemstone.

 

So what do you guys think? Am I just crazy?

[Karger]

25 minutes ago, Halyo_Alex said:

with specifically sized facets in a specific number that lead to no stormlight leaking at all. It may, indeed, require the skill and power of a Radiant to properly shape a gemstone into that shape with enough precision to truly strike that perfect balance and make a perfect gemstone.

This is what I always thought.  The correct number of correct sized facets of the correct crystalline structure makes a gem perfect.  The closer you are to perfect the longer the stormlight.

[RShara]

If you think about it from a light and cut perspective, it makes sense. In a rough gemstone, light will leak from it randomly in all sorts of directions. When a gem's been cut correctly, light is bounced around the inside  of the gem, and only (mostly) released in the desired direction, usually upward toward a "face". So with Stormlight, the energy is bounced around the inside of the gem instead of constantly escaping, and escapes less through most of the gem, containing the energy better, and slowing the leakage.

 

[Halyo_Alex]

1 hour ago, RShara said:

If you think about it from a light and cut perspective, it makes sense. In a rough gemstone, light will leak from it randomly in all sorts of directions. When a gem's been cut correctly, light is bounced around the inside  of the gem, and only (mostly) released in the desired direction, usually upward toward a "face". So with Stormlight, the energy is bounced around the inside of the gem instead of constantly escaping, and escapes less through most of the gem, containing the energy better, and slowing the leakage.

 

Wow, complete with a diagram too. Awesome! Yeah, that really does make sense. Cool.

[sylbladio]

I always thought of it as a spiritual thing. We already know that stormlight comes from the spiritual realm from this quote by the Stormfather.

Quote

Honor's power, during a storm, is concentrated in one place. It pierces all three realms and brings Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual together momentarily in one. The gemstones, exposed to the wonder of the Spiritual Realm, are lit by the infinite power there.

So what I always thought was if the gemstone got eroded, then it's spirit web would also be very slightly damaged, creating an exit for stormlight. When it gets cut neatly, it reminds the gemstone of how it used to be before it got eroded, and the spirit web slightly seals up, but not completely. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by sylbladio