the cut in diamonds

The first and the most important thing before understanding diamond cut is “Never get confused between a diamond’s cut and Shape”. The shape is the overall outer appearance of the diamond while the cut is the grade of a diamond’s reflective qualities under light and these reflective qualities are determined by how well a diamond is cut.

A diamond’s cut is the most important aspect of the 4 C’s of Diamond quality, therefore it is very necessary to understand how the value of a diamond is affected by this quality. A perfectly cut diamond exhibits sheer brilliance and sparkle, that brightness which comes from right inside the diamond. The proper angles and finishing of every diamond determine its capability to sustain light, which leads to brilliance in Diamond.

In the picture below, light penetrates via table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other side before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer’s eye. This happens if the diamond is cut properly. The light here refers to the brilliance, which flashes and makes the diamond look absolutely captivation and scintillating.

If a diamond is cut poorly, the light that penetrates through table goes to the facets and then ‘leaks’ out from either the sides or bottom of the diamond instead of reflecting back to the eye. If the light effect is less on eyes, the brilliance would also be less in the diamond.

Gemologists often comply- those diamonds that follow a set formula calculated to inflate brilliance are the best cut diamonds.  If you are planning to purchase a diamond which has no AGS or GIA certificate, then invest your little time in looking for certified diamonds (where you are aware of the Cut Grade) and develop the skill to identify better cuts (by their “sparkle”).  A Cut surely makes a difference to the outer appearance of a diamond.

Since Cut is really important, various grading approaches and procedures have been developed to assist buyers determine the cut of a particular diamond. Generally, these cuts are categorised into following grades;

1.    Ideal-Cut

The deal cut maximises the brilliance and sparkle of a diamond. It would be an added advantage if the table size of such diamond is typically smaller to create a great deal of fire or dispersion as well. Ideal Cut diamond category is only available in Classic round brilliant cut diamonds and this cut is especially for those who enjoy knowing that he possesses the best thing money can buy.

2.    Premium Cut

Often Premium Cut particularly round diamonds have cuts that are similar to any Ideal Cut diamond, although they generally can be purchased at marginally lower prices than AGS Ideal Cuts. They tend to provide maximum brilliance and fire.

3.    Very Good

The very Good quality grade diamonds reflect maximum of the light that enters them, generating a good deal of brilliance. In case of these diamonds, the cutting professionals have chosen to stray slightly from the preferred diamond proportions in order to create a larger diamond. This results in diamond of this grade falling somewhat out of certain buyers’ preferences. The “Very Good” range of diamonds is priced slightly lower than Premium cut diamonds.

4.    Good

Diamonds in this category reflect much of the light that enters them. Their proportions fall outside of the preferred range due to the cutting professional’s choice to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, instead of cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Premium quality diamond. This particular range of diamonds offers a fabulous cost-savings to buyers who wish to have a quality and beauty without going beyond their budget.

 5.    Fair & Poor

Fair and Poor grade diamonds are generally cut to typically increase the carat weight as compared to other elements. A diamond graded as fair or poor reflects only a small percentage of the light that enters it.

Now that you know all about the 4c’s of diamond grading, you can be sure of the quality of diamonds you are buying. Get the best one for you at GemTrove!!