Everyone loves a sparkly diamond, right? Surprisingly, a diamond’s sparkle is not a result of flawless clarity or colorlessness. Rather, it is a result of the quality from a diamond’s cut. Unknown to most people is that a diamond’s sparkle completely depends on the cut of the stone. In fact, the cut of a stone is the most important factor that one should consider when looking for a beautiful and brilliant diamond. So what really is cut? Why is it so important? In this article, we will walk through everything you need to know about a diamond cut.
WHAT IS CUT AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT?
CUT IS KING
Cut is the most important quality of a diamond because it determines how beautiful, large, and sparkly a diamond will be. It is the most important quality of a diamond and should not be the aspect to cheap out on!
While shape refers to the form of a diamond, its cut entails the stone’s shape and how well its proportions reflect light. A diamond’s cut grade is the combination of its proportion, symmetry, and polish. When a stone has a poor cut, it inefficiently reflects light which diminish its beauty while an excellent cut diamond will ideally reflect light maximizing its beauty. A diamond sparkles because of how light bounces off each angle and facet of its cut. In a stone that is well cut, the light will enter from the stone’s top, bounce inside it, and exit through the same route it came in. Ideally, this returns almost all of the light into the viewer’s eyes. In fact, a stone that is well cut will seem to be bigger than it really is. In addition, it can camouflage or mask inclusions in the diamond.
HOW DIAMOND CUT IS GRADED (GIA)
Gentlemen, there are very visible differences between cut grades. Stones with lower cut grades will look much worse when compared to those with higher grades. It is worth it to move up in cut grade before moving up in carat weight for the best looking stone. Let’s look at how each of these cut grade ratings differ:
Excellent
An excellent cut exhibits optimal brilliance and fire since all the light that enters into the diamond is ideally reflected to the viewer’s eye.
Very Good
A very good diamond cut reflects nearly all of the light that enters into it well. Although it is less expensive when compared to excellent cut, this quality grade still displays satisfactory amounts of brilliance and sparkle.
Good
A good cut is an economical choice for someone who is on a limited budget. This cut grade reflects most of the light entering the stone and offers less beauty at a more affordable price. The amount of reflected light is not as much as that of higher grades therefore brilliance, fire, and scintillation will be much less noticeable.
Fair
A fair cut graded diamond does not reflect light optimally. Light will be dispersed out of the bottom and sides of the stone and the majority of the brilliance and fire of the stone will be lost.
Poor
Poor cut diamonds will be dull and lifeless. Do not buy diamonds this grade as they are worthless and a complete waste of your money.
While there is a considerable difference between those stones with the same cut grade, those with Fair and Poor cut grades are usually so terrible to the extent that they are not sold in most shops. In most cases, I advise people to opt for the excellent cut grade and never go below the very good cut grade unless they really can’t afford it. In fact, if you are on a budget, it is advisable to go down in terms of carat or clarity instead of going down lower than the cut quality.
The cut of a stone is the summary of the stone’s proportions and can also be evaluated using the attributes of fire, brilliance, and scintillation.
Fire
Refers to the light dispersion that often looks like flashes of rainbow colors. A very well cut diamond can often display fire when the diamond is in low light environments.
Brilliance
Refers to the overall brightness of the stone created by the facets, proportions, and ratios in a stone. Limited leakage of light being reflected incorrectly out of the diamond will create the brightest stone.
Scintillation
Refers to the pattern of light and dark facets that sparkle intensely when the diamond is moved.
THE DETAILS IN DETERMINING DIAMOND CUT QUALITY
The cut of a stone is usually defined by three main factors which include the proportion, symmetry, and polish. These factors are often evaluated using the attributes of fire, brilliance, and scintillation. With that, let’s expand on each of these factors:
Proportions
The proportion of a stone’s cut is encompassed by the relationship between the shape, size, and angle of each of the stone’s facets. Unlike polish and symmetry which deal with a stone’s external characteristics in regard to craftsmanship, the proportion of a stone’s cut determines how it will handle light. A well proportioned stone has each of its facets properly placed and at an angle that maximize the amount of light reflecting back out of the stone’s top also known as the crown. A stone’s proportion largely depends on the stone’s table, depth, and width.
Table
The table refers to the top face of a diamond. It is often the largest side or facet of a stone. In a stone’s cut grade report, the table percentage is the ratio of the width of the stone’s table in relation to the stone’s entire width. An ideal table ratio produces exceptional fire and brilliance which all contribute to the beauty and value of the stone. The table percentage is calculated by dividing the table’s width by the diameter of the girdle or outer edge. The table percentage is very important in determining the stone’s brilliance as well as it’s overall beauty. The ideal proportions will depend on the diamond shape.
Depth
The depth of a diamond is found through measuring the stone’s height, from the table to the culet. The depth of a stone is usually measured in millimeters while the depth percentage of a stone is calculated by dividing the depth by the width. Usually, a stone with a depth that is too low will create a darker appearance since it will not effectively reflect light.
Width
A stone’s width is captured through measuring from one end of the stone’s girdle to the other end of the stone’s girdle. A stone’s girdle is simply the diameter, or the stone’s widest point. The width of a stone’s cut is critical in determining the length to width ratio. The length to width ratio of the stone is what tells how proportionate the stone is along with its intended shape.
Symmetry
Symmetry is a very critical component of a stone’s cut quality. A symmetrical stone will consist of properly aligned and well balanced facets. However, if the stone’s facets are not symmetrical, they will exhibit less than adequate sparkle. When determining a stone’s symmetry, it is examined by gemologists under 10 x magnifications to see the size and shape of the facets, the alignment of the crown and pavilion, and the placement of the culet compared to the table.
Polish
The polish grade of a stone’s cut refers to the quality of it’s finish or how smooth the stone looks after cutting and polishing process. Each stone must always be polished after it has been cut in order to give it a smooth finish and improve the appearance of the facets. Each and every single facet of the stone should be carefully polished after cutting to maximize the stone’s brilliance. If there are any visible scratches on the surface of the stone, this may be a sign of a careless or a rushed polish. To determine a stone’s polish, it is examined under 10x magnification and then ranked as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. However, the effect of polish on a stone’s light performance is very minor. In this case going with a good or better diamond polish rating is good enough.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUYING THE BEST DIAMOND
When you go out to buy a diamond, it is advisable to be very careful even when a shop claims that a stone is ideal-cut. This is because most buyers, especially first-time buyers easily get duped by fake grading reports since they don’t know what to look for. You should only trust the claim if the stone has been graded and certified by AGS or GIA. Apart from depending on the AGS and GIA, you can also do some homework by looking at the stone’s various proportions. These proportions include all the angles and measurements that work hand in hand to reflect light including symmetry, polish, culet, pavilion and girdle. If you are shopping for a diamond online, one of the best places where you will find ideal cut diamonds is James Allen. Before you buy a diamond, remember that the cut is the single most important factor that impacts a stone’s appearance. Therefore, I highly advise you to place the most priority on the cut, even above the carat weight since an excellent cut will hide flaws, mask color, and make your diamond shine like a star.