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The fine art of cutting
Understanding Diamond Cut
The secret power behind a diamond's sparkle is its cut. As one of the 4C’s of diamond, cut refers to the skillful arrangement of its facets. Cutting a diamond is an art form that requires a keen eye and expert craftsmanship. It's all about maximizing its ability to interact with light. The way the facets are proportioned, how symmetrical they are and the quality of the polish, all of these elements work together to determine how much light is reflected to your eye. Basically, the better the cut, the more fire and brilliance you will see in the finished diamond.
Why is Cut Important?
The cut of a diamond considerably impacts the appearance of it, and it is what determines its fire, sparkle and brilliance. An expertly cut diamond will reflect more brilliant light, which is exactly what you expect from a diamond. If a diamond is poorly cut, it will seem much duller and lifeless to the eye. The cut grade can also show the quality of craftsmanship behind and how well it was designed. The quality of the cut also plays a critical role in a diamond's pricing. This is why it is crucial to understand what the cut is and how it can influence the brilliance, quality and value of a diamond.
Cut Grading System
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) established a scientific system to assess a diamond's cut quality. This system considers the stone’s proportions and design, how light interacts with it (brilliance, fire, scintillation), and the quality of its craftsmanship which has to do with polish and symmetry. GIA's cut scale ranks diamonds along a five-point scale ranging from Excellent to Poor.
- Excellent: To achieve the Excellent cut rating, a diamond needs to excel in all three aspects: ideal proportions for light return, a flawlessly smooth surface, and perfect symmetry when it comes to facet alignment.
- Very Good: A Very Good cut diamond’s polish and symmetry may not be quite perfect. However, it remains high quality and allows for excellent sparkle at a more modest price point.
- Good: The properties of Good cut diamonds can show slight imperfections. The light return might be less efficient compared to higher grades, which results in a somewhat diminished brilliance. These diamonds may have minor proportion flaws that create darker areas within the stone, and this gives them a slightly duller look.
- Fair: A Fair cut diamond has gray or dark areas that lead to slight light refractions. Thus, they may not offer that much of a bright sparkle like higher-cut graded diamonds do.
- Poor: In Poor cut diamonds, you can see more obvious dark areas that can distract the eye. Light escapes easily from the bottom (pavilion) and sometimes the tip (culet). They offer less fire and scintillation as a result. For quality considerations, we do not offer poor cut diamonds at AGY.
Cut Characteristics that Determine Grading
Appearance
“Brightness” is what you see on the light reflected from the diamond. If the light you see is scattering and throwing off rainbow colors, it’s called “fire”. The movements of light and shadow across the diamond's surface is "scintillation," and it's what creates that classic sparkle effect you see. So, what you might call "sparkle" is actually the interaction of fire, scintillation and the overall light reflection of the diamond.
Proportion
The precise crown and pavilion angles and sizes of its facets affect how a diamond looks overall, as these proportions determine how light interacts with the stone. That’s exactly why their size and arrangement are quite important factors influencing how the light is reflected from the diamond. As a result, the proportions of a diamond will determine how well it radiates brightness, fire and scintillation.
Design and Craftsmanship
A diamond's beauty goes beyond just its face-up appearance. Design and craftsmanship also play a crucial role when it comes to its quality. Design covers the fashioning process in which decisions about the diamond’s physical shape, its proportions, weight ratio and durability are made. Craftsmanship is evident in the polish and symmetry. A poorly designed or crafted diamond will struggle to showcase the dazzling display of light, fire and scintillation a well-cut stone possesses.
Polish
Polish refers to the smoothness and quality of a diamond's facets, which is crucial for their ability to act like perfect mirrors that reflect light for maximum sparkle. The higher its polish grade, the better a diamond reflects light.
Symmetry
Symmetry refers to how even and consistent a diamond's facets are in size, angle and placement. A well-cut diamond boasts even light reflection and distribution across its surface, and this results in optimal brilliance, fire and scintillation. Conversely, poor symmetry disrupts light performance, which gives the diamond a dull and uneven appearance.
Diamond Cut FAQs
If sparkle is your priority, then the round brilliant is the way to go. This classic shape is especially given a carefully designed facet pattern and a compact form that increases light return. Each facet reflects light back at your eye and creates that brilliant fire and sparkle you want to see on diamonds. But fancy and elongated shapes, like oval, emerald, or Asscher, can still deliver satisfying brilliance if the diamond is well cut and graded colorless or near colorless. The best cut for you comes down to your priorities and what style appeals to you in the end.
Cutting a diamond is a professional process that requires a skilled craftsperson and specialized equipment. A highly skilled cutter first examines the rough diamond to determine the best way to maximize its beauty and value. The rough diamond is then precisely split or sectioned. With the initial shape established, the diamond is given its basic outline with the help of a rotating wheel. The final step is polishing each facet, which brings out the fire and brilliance for which diamonds are renowned.
As you might expect, the most expensive diamond cut is the round brilliant cut for several reasons. This cut has the most facets, typically 58, and these facets are arranged in a way that the diamond returns the light at its best potential. Achieving this fine adjustment in faceting requires a high level of skill and artistry from the cutter, which adds to the overall cost. The popularity and market demand of round brilliant cuts also drives up their price.
The marquise and the elongated cuts like oval and pear are the ones that make the stone look bigger than its actual size. Elongated forms with pointed ends maximize the surface area and that’s what makes the diamond appear larger than its carat weight might suggest. But remember that carat weight is still a significant factor in a diamond's overall size.
No, diamond cut and shape are two different aspects, but they both influence a diamond's overall look and value. The cut is the way a diamond is actually fashioned, specifically the arrangement and proportions of its many tiny flat surfaces called facets. The shape, on the other hand, simply refers to the overall outline or silhouette of the diamond when viewed from above, such as round, princess, emerald, oval and heart.
We can’t say for sure as it depends on what you prioritize and consider to be important. When it comes to sparkle and brilliance, cut is the most important aspect as it has to do with brilliance and the amount of light reflection. If the price is the matter, carat weight affects the price the most. Color and clarity also influence the overall look and value of the diamond. That’s why there isn't a single "most important" C among the 4C’s, as your priorities will eventually guide your decision.
Color
The natural tint inherent in white diamonds
Clarity
A measure of the purity and rarity of a stone
Carat
The way to measure the weight of a diamond
