Cut is the step that man adds to bring out the beauty of a diamond.
Without cutting even a flawless, colorless diamond would have no sparkle. When I speak of
cut I am referring to the shape, style, and proportions of the diamond.
Shape is best observed by seeing the outline of the diamond.
The most common shapes are shown in this section. I have also seen diamonds cut as
butterflies, horse heads, crosses and five and six pointed stars. The unusual cuts are
prize for their novelty. The most popular are the Round Brilliant cuts.
Style refers to the type and arrangement of the facets. The
Brilliant style is best described is having pavilion facets extending from a center point
to the edge of the diamond. Bezel facets are kite shaped while upper girdle and star
facets are triangular. (most shapes are brilliant cut). A Step cut has pavilion and crown
facets which are made of parallel straight lines at different angles. (an Emerald or
Baguette cut are example of this type of cut) A mixed cut is a combination of the
Brilliant and Step cutting styles. Usually the crown is Step cut and the pavilion is
Brilliant cut. (Princess and Radiant cuts are examples of this as they are square or
rectangular shape)
Proportions are the relationships of the size and angles of
the facets of the diamond. Proportions determine how light will travel through the
diamond. If the proportions are good the diamond is beautiful, if they are not the diamond
will not sparkle.
Cut is the most overlooked of the four C's. Often a customer
will ask me about color and clarity but rarely about the cut. Cut can make a large
difference in the price of two diamonds of the same color and clarity. There are several
systems for grading cut. All start at zero or one, which are the highest grades. As the
numbers go up the grade goes down. You should ask your jeweler to explain this in detail.
Cut is the step that man adds to bring out the beauty of a diamond.
Without cutting even a flawless, colorless diamond would have no sparkle. When I speak of
cut I am referring to the shape, style, and proportions of the diamond.
