Diamond Cut Grade
A diamond’s Cut is judged by the eye of beholder and therefore more subjective than the other four Cs of a diamond. Your diamond’s Cut is the most important characteristic to consider when choosing your diamond. A diamond’s Cut should not be confused with the diamond’s shape (round, princess, baguette, etc.). No matter what diamond shape you choose, each diamond shape has a set of optimum proportions that will reflect and refract the light back to the beholder’s eyes the best. Often overlooked by diamond buyers and diamond sellers alike are the interrelated proportions and angles of the diamond, also known as the Cut of a diamond. Ironically a diamond’s Cut and polish are what make a diamond sparkle, which is why we buy them in the first place. A polished diamond’s beauty lies in its complex relationship with light, how much enters the diamond, how much light returns to the observer’s eye and in what form. It takes the calculations of symmetry, depth percentages and angles to judge a diamond’s cut without looking at the diamond. When you can compare two diamonds side-by-side there is no need for math skills.
Take two equally lab-graded polished round diamonds, the same carat weight, color, and clarity but with different table-to-depth proportions. When you place them face up on your closed fingers and slowly rotate your hand, they appear completely different one blindly sparkles more than the other. The difference between the two is in the Cut and is the result of three interrelated attributes of light.
Brightness is the combination of all white light reflecting from the surface and interior of a diamond. The flashes of color that can be seen in a diamond are called the fire. The small areas of light you see flash on and off within a diamond when you slowly move the diamond is scintillation. Diamonds cut with the ideal proportions for their shape optimize the interaction with light; they will have excellent brilliance, fire, and scintillation. A diamond’s proportions affect its light performance, which in turn affects its beauty and overall value. This is why you need to look at the diamonds, not the certificates, when making your final decision. Have your local independent jewelry appraiser help you judge the cut of your final choice.
The cut and polish of a natural diamond are the only diamond characteristics that are totally dependent on the hand of man. A natural diamond’s color, clarity and carat size were determined by nature millions of years ago. A diamond cutter analyzes the rough diamond then determines how to extract the highest carat weight, what shape will produce the most profit out of the rough diamond, and how to avoid inclusions in the finished diamond. It is possible to take the same rough diamond, and either cut the rough diamond into the most beautiful diamond with ideal proportions despite heavy weight loss. Or a diamond cutter can shape the rough diamond to its maximum carat weight and monetary value, but lose the brilliance. These resulting diamonds are often called off-make diamonds.
Diamonds that are cut in any shape other than round brilliant are called "fancy cuts" and require an independent jewelry appraiser’s calculations of the diamond’s proportions in order to judge the cut. When judging a diamond’s cut remember to actually look at the diamond not the certificate, pick the diamond that has the most fire and brilliance in your eyes. When in doubt about a diamond consult your independent jewelry appraiser. While there is a clear reason to prefer the larger, rarer 2 carat diamond to a 1 carat diamond, or a clear preference for a E color over a J color, some people prefer diamonds to be cut in different ways. Some people like a "spready"-diamond, which has a larger than ideal table. This makes the diamond appear larger without making it weigh more. Some like rectangular-shaped princess cut diamonds more than the ideal square proportions. With a diamond’s cut, it is all in the eye of the beholder.
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