We have shared the 4 C's of diamonds, the other 2 C's of diamonds, diamond shape, diamond color, and oval-, cushion-, princess-, emerald-, and fancy-shaped diamonds and so much more! We love educating our customers about diamonds and helping them be the smartest and most savvy shoppers out there.
Today we are going to zero in on probably the most important "C" of diamond buying and that is diamond cut.
Before we dive in, let's differentiate between diamond cut and diamond shape as these two terms are often confused, and there is a critical difference between the two!
Diamond shape refers to the outline of the diamond, e.g. round, princess, cushion, oval, marquise, emerald, and pear, or even heart!
Diamond cut describes the facets, symmetry, and dimensions of the diamond and how they work together to reflect light. When you hear or read the phrase "reflect light" in the context of diamonds, think SPARKLE! The more light a diamond reflects, the more sparkle it has!
And most everyone we know wants the maximum amount of sparkle you can get in a diamond. (The one exception would be the emerald-shaped diamond, which naturally has "less sparkle" because of the way it is cut. Emerald-shaped diamonds are not less beautiful because of this; they are just known more for their clarity of color and less for their ability to reflect light!)
The sparkle of the diamond is the easiest way to gauge how well it's cut. Plus, all else being equal, cut has the largest impact of the price of a diamond and it's price.
An expertly and well-cut diamond has beautiful fire, brilliance, and scintillation. On the other hand, a poorly cut diamond doesn’t reflect light as well so it can appear dim, dull, sometimes even dirty.
You are probably beginning to understand the importance of diamond cut, right? Additionally, a good cut diamond will make it difficult to spot inclusions, and will often cover up color issues. Cut is King!
It's all about proportion. Diamond cut proportions directly affect a diamond’s ability to reflect light and provide that brilliance or sparkle you are looking for.
Proportions are based on the ratios between size, angle, and shape of each diamond facet. Various combinations of these elements affect its beauty and sparkle. Remember a facet is a smooth flat plane on the surface of a diamond that reflects light. Take a look at the picture to better visualize a facet and diamond anatomy.
Simply put, a well cut diamond maximizes the light that hits each pavilion. Instead of being lost through other parts of the diamond, light reflects back through the crown and table, where you want it to go!
If a diamond is cut too shallow, light can be lost from underneath, minimizing the brilliance. If the cut is too deep, light can spread out from the sides, reducing sparkle. But, a diamond with good proportions will allow the light to travel through the diamond, beautifully reflecting the light through the table and crown for utmost brilliance!
Unlike the other "Cs", the various cut grades used today were not originated by Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
While many diamond sellers use similar terms to describe the cut of a diamond, e.g. excellent, very good, fair, poor, these terms are not consistently defined or even used, for that matter. We urge you to use cation when comparing cut grades from different diamond sellers due to this inconsistency. We always say to pick with your eyes and what you love.
While nature determines the color and the clarity of every diamond, the professional diamond cutter determine's a diamond's cut! And it isn't an easy task. Diamond cutting requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme difficulty and precision.
And he or she has choices to make when approaching the diamond: maximize size or maximize brilliance or a combination of the two.
If a cutter wants to maximize weight, he’ll polish away as little as possible from that "diamond in the rough"...and this means the diamond could end up with more weight (carats) but poorly aligned facets and decreased sparkle.
If a cutter wants to up the ante on the sparkle factor, he will polish away enough weight until all the facets are lined up evenly and beautifully which creates awesome sparkle and light!
We've said it before and we'll say it again, cut is critically important to the look of your diamond and should be considered carefully when purchasing a diamond engagement ring.
Here are some diamonds that we think have GREAT sparkle that you might love...
We're honored that Mullen Bros. Jewelers ranks #1 in overall customer ratings among all jewelry stores in Southeastern Massachusetts and we will continue to take care of our neighbors and friends, one jewel at a time.
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