Cut - Precision and Brillance
Cut is pivotal in giving a diamond it's brilliance and sparkle and refers to the overall porportions of a diamond. A precise and ideal cut diamond will reflect the maximum amount of light that enters it, making it appearly lively and sparkle.
A diamond cut too shallow lacks in brilliance giving it a very cold appearance. In contrary, diamonds cut too deep will appear dark.
Cut does not refer to shape (pear, oval), but the outward appearance, cut of the facets, symmetry, polish and all other aspects of of a diamond that make it scintillate. The cut of a diamond greatly impacts a diamond brilliance, this means if it is cut poorly, it will be less luminous.
When jewelers judge the quality of a diamond cut, a lot of times they rate it as the most important of the “4 Cs.” The way a diamond is cut is primarily dependent upon the original shape of the rough stone, location of the inclusions and flaws to be eliminated, the preservation of the weight, and the shape.
Diamonds are assigned a cut grade based on a number of factors namely light performance, proportion and craftsmanship. Various grading scales exists but cut grades are usually as follows:
- Ideal
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Fair
- Poor
When a diamond has a high quality cut (ideal cut), incident light will enter the stone through the table and crown as shown above and travel toward the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before bouncing back out of the diamond’s table toward you. This phenomenon is referred to as “light return” which affects a diamond’s brightness, brilliance, and dispersion. Any light-leakage caused by poor cutting, will reduce the amount of light returned, and how good the diamond looks.
When starting your search for a loose diamond, don't be skimpy on cut. We recommend not going below a cut grade 'Very Good'. The reason is this: a wellcut diamond will appear larger than a poorly cut diamond. What this means is that a .9 carat diamond with Excellent cut will appear larger than a 1-carat diamond with good cut. This means money saved (as there is usually a premium on 1-carat diamonds and above)
