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CUT

 

The cut of a Diamond is the only property, which is very dependent on man. Although often overlooked, cut is actually one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing your diamond. A Diamond cutter analyzes the rough diamond, and has to determine how to extract the most beauty and most profit out of the rough stone. Cut refers to not only the shape of the diamonds, but its proportions and finish, factors, which determine the sparkle of the diamond. It is possible to take the same stone, and depending on which method the cutter decides to use, to either cut it into the most beautiful stone it can be despite heavy weight loss and perhaps lower monetary value. Else, he can cut a stone to its maximum weight and monetary value, but lose some "brilliance" and "sparkle"! You see, even if you have two equal polished diamonds, both the same carat size, both the same color, both the same clarity, they may look completely different. How there are many different shapes, and facets in a diamond. The weight can be distributed in different parts of the stone. For example, here's a picture of what is called in the Diamond industry an ideal cut stone. The goal in terms of extracting the greatest beauty from a Diamond, is to have light enter a Diamond, disperse the light as it bounces inside the Diamond, thereby producing the different colors and sparkly effect, and finally returning as much light to the eye as possible. According to conventional wisdom, the proportions shown above are the best for maximum light return. The 2-dimensional illustration below shows the theoretical path a ray of light will take through an ideal-cut Diamond.

What is the proportion of the diamond?

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Round brilliant diamonds are commonly cut with 58 facets. The better proportioned these facets are on the diamond; the more light will be reflected back to the viewer's eye. This is extremely important. When cut properly, the diamond will sparkle more. Diamond cuts are measured by the table percentage, so always ask for it. A good table percentage is between 55-60%. Cut also refers to the shape such as: round, pear, heart and oval. If you are having a diamond mounted, write down the measurements of your stone. Measurements never change. A measurement of the stone after it is mounted and verifies and that it matches the appraisal and/or certificate. The diamond's cut is classified by the GIA as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor (Re-cut).

Refers picture to the angles and proportions of a diamond.

The measurement and proportion of all these cuts determines the grade of the cut that is given by a gem lab. There are five grades given:

Excellent (Ideal)

 

Strict standards and mathematical proportions produce the maximum amount of reflected light and brilliance through the stone. Symmetry is a key element here, and thus the only stones with an ideal cut will be round ones.

However, an ideal cut is not possible in every case. The rough diamond’s natural inclusions, or imperfections, sometimes make it impossible to apply perfect proportions during the cutting process.

A Very Good cut reflects back up to 90 percent of the light entering the stone. An ideal cut is considered extremely well proportioned.

A Good cut applies to a stone that reflects back lots of light. Stones with good cuts are often used in high-quality jewelry.

A Fair cut is used to make the most of the weight of the original stone, which tends to reduce its brilliance and fire. A fair cut reflects back as little as 50 percent of the light that has passed through the diamond.

 

A Poor cut diamond looks lifeless to the eye. We do not offer poorly cut diamonds for sale to our customers, and we don’t recommend them for fine jewelry.

Round diamonds are the most popular and the only ones that can have an Ideal cut, but shape is really just a matter of personal preference.

These are the most popular diamond shapes:

Round, Heart, Marquise, Princess, Pear, Radiant, Oval, Trillion, Emerald etc.

When you consider a diamond's cut, you should also check the diamond's specifications against the following table to determine whether the polish, symmetry, girdle and culet of the diamond fall within acceptable standards

             

	2%  60 - 80%  53 - 61%   553 - 65%�@68 - 83%
	59 - 63%  63 - 70%  62 - 75% ; 59 - 71%   48 - 61%    65 - 76%

Carat refers to the size or weight of a diamond. Carat refers to the quality of gold. The more carats a diamond is, the more valuable it is because larger stones are more rare. That's why a 2-carat diamond might cost 4 times as much as a 1-carat diamond of similar quality. Some people refer to "points" as a measurement of weight as well. 1 carat = 100 points, so 1/2 carat = 50 points, and 1/4 carat = 25 points. Points allow for a more precise weight when a fraction of a carat is involved.

Most diamonds have some flaws or "inclusions" which affect their clarity, or the way that light is reflected through the stone. An "inclusion" can be a bubble, spot or line which occurred while the diamond was being formed deep in the earth, and most are not visible to the naked eye.

A jeweler will use a "loupe" or magnifying glass to see these imperfections. The fewer flaws a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Diamonds are graded from flawless to imperfect based on how many inclusions there are and how visible each is.

A "flawless" diamond cannot have any inclusions that are visible to a trained eye using a 10X magnification. Flawless diamonds are indeed rare.

Diamonds can have colors ranging from white to brown, with all yellows, blues, greens and reds in between.

White diamonds have the colorless characteristic, which allows them to reflect light and sparkle, making them so treasured and valuable. These white diamonds are graded on an alphabetical scale from "D" on down the line. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is.

A "D" color diamond is colorless and very rare.

"Fancy” diamonds are those with colors such as canary yellow, blue, green and red. While beautiful and interesting in appearance, they are not as valuable as white diamonds.

Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another, disperse, and reflect it through the top of the stone.

This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Picture than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines. Ask a jeweler to find out more about these guidelines. Non-round shapes, also known as “fancy shapes,” will have their own guidelines to be considered well cut. There are seven principal diamond shapes: Round, Marquise, Emerald, Princess, Pear, Oval, Heart and other different shapes.

Shape:

Diamonds are cut in many different and exciting shapes. The shape of a diamond is often confused with its cut. Shape refers to the basic form of the diamond: oval or pear shaped, for instance. Cut or proportions, on the above table, refer to the ability of each of these shapes to reflect light. A round diamond, for example, could have a good cut or a poor cut depending upon its proportions. When it comes to shape, it is simply a matter of personal taste. The right shape for you is really the one whose appearance you prefer. Shape can be a statement of whom you are; like other areas of fashion, shape can reflect your individuality. The most popular shapes are displayed here, but many new and interesting shapes are being developed every year.

 

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