The Beauty Fire & Brilliance of a Well Cut Diamond
The “cut or “make” of a diamond is the most important factor in a diamonds appearance
The “cut” of a diamond is often confused and thought to describe the shape of the gemstone when it actually describes the quality of workmanship and the angles to which a diamond is cut. Cut is the one factor of a diamond not predetermined by nature and is also a quality plainly visible to the person purchasing the diamond.
The skill with which a diamond is cut determines its ability to reflect and refract light. Diamond cutting is based on scientific calculations aimed at maximising the beauty of the gemstone. A diamonds beauty is dependent on a number of factor to do with the behavious of light as it enters and exits the diamond.
A well-executed round brilliant cut should reflect light upwards and make the diamond appear white when viewed from the top.
The precision and skill of the diamond cutter means that a well-cut diamond can appear to be of greater carat weight, clarity and color than they actually are. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is the brightness that seems to come from the very heart of the gemstone and its fire, the arrary of colour reflected in the light from the diamond.
When a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer’s eye. This light is the diamonds brilliance that makes diamonds so captivating.
In addition to carrying the most importance to a diamond’s quality as a gemstone, the cut is also the most difficult to quantitatively judge. A number of factors, including proportion, polish, symmetry, and the relative angles of various facets, are determined by the quality of the cut and can affect the performance of a diamond.
A poorly cut diamond with facets cut only a few degrees out of alignment can result in a poorly performing stone. An inferior cut will produce a stone that appears dark at the center and in some extreme cases the ring settings may show through the top of the diamond as shadows.
WHAT CUT DIAMOND SHOULD I BUY?
If you are shopping for the perfect diamond engagement ring you would need a cut that is classified as “Good” or better.
Diamonds are graded on a scale from “Excellent” down to “Poor”. To make the best selection it may help to understand the reasoning behind the different grades.
Excellent Cut Diamond
This cut is intended to maximise brilliance, and the typically smaller table sizes of these diamonds have the added benefit of creating a great deal of dispersion or ‘fire’ as well.
Very Good Cut Diamond
These diamonds reflect the majority of the light that enters them, creating a good deal of brilliance. Very good diamond cuts deviate slightly from the ideal cut proportions in order to create a larger diamond.
Good Cut Diamond
These diamonds will reflect much of the light that enters them. Their proportions fall outside of the preferred range because the cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Premium quality diamond.
Diamonds in this range offer an excellent cost-savings to customers who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality or beauty.
Fair & Poor Cut Diamonds
A diamond graded as fair or poor losses light reflecting only a small proportion of the light that enters it. Typically these diamonds have been cut to maximize the carat weight over most other considerations.
Renee is a Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) certified Diamond Grader and the Marketing Manager for online jewellery retailer, 1791 Diamonds Ltd. A New Zealand based company creating designer diamond engagement rings in gold and platinum settings.
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