Diamond Cut | Carat Weight | Diamond Color | Diamond Clarity
Cut refers to the shape of the diamond and how well it sparkles, making cut the most important criteria to consider when buying a diamond.
Diamond Shapes
Below are some of the most common diamond shapes. Shape is usually the first criteria to decide on when shopping for a diamond.
Certain shapes sparkle more than others, with the brilliant round diamond being the most sparkly of all. Emarld and Asscher cuts on the other hand are famous for the geometry of their step cut and not for their spakle.
Understanding The Cut
The science behind the cut of diamond is to let in the right amount of light, refract it into white and colored light, and reflect it back as a fiery sparkle. The quality of the cut depends on how well diamond sections are proportioned to one another, namely the Table, Depth, Polish, and Symmetry.
Before learning more about the sections of the diamond, here are some common diamond cut terms to familiarize with:
Brilliance - The total amount of white light the diamonds reflects back.
Dispersion - Also known as "fire," dispersion is the flashes of color that result from the refraction of incoming light.
ScIntlllation - Reflections and flashes of white light off the diamond's surface as either the diamond, the observer, or the light source move.
Diamond Sections
The manner in which the sections of a diamond are propotioned to one another has a direct impact on the quality of the cut. To understand this relationship let's first review the five sections of the diamond.
| Crown : | The top section of the diamond that also includes the table. It captures and refracts light. |
| Table : | The facet at the top of the diamond. See ideal table sizes below. |
| Girdle : | A thin band around the diamond, like a belt, where the crown meets the pavilion. The girdle protects the edge of the diamond from chipping. Look for medium girdles and avoid extremely thick or thin. |
| Pavilion : | The lower section of the diamond. It refracts light and reflacts it back through the crown. |
| Culet : | The facet at the tip of the diamond. The culet is not visible to the naked eye and is graded as none or small. If the culet is too large, the diamond will appear to have a hole at the bottom when looking through it. |
Diamond Table
The Table is the flat part at the top of the crown. It is the largest facet of the diamond and controls the amount of light entering the stone. A Table must fall within a certain range of sizes relative to the surface area of the crown, otherwise it hurts the cut. A small Table prevents sufficient amount of light to enter the diamond which in turn diminishes the sparkle. A large Table allows too much light to flood the diamond causing it look "glassy." This means light travels through the diamond so you can see right though it. For ideal diamond Table sizes by shape refer to the chart below.
Diamond Depth
Depth refers to how deep the diamond is from top to bottom. It determines the amount of light the diamond will reflect back, and it also impacts the size of the diamond.
Deep Diamonds - If a diamond is cut too deep, light will escape from the pavilion instead of reflecting back through the top (crown and table). This reduces the amount of light reflected and diminishes the sparkle. A deep diamond will also have more of its weight concentrated at the bottom casuing it to look narrow and small for its carat weight.
Shallow Diamond - If a diamond is cut too shallow, light will usually pass right through the diamond and make it look "glassy," as is the case with a large table. A shallow diamond will have more weight concentrated at the top causing it to look spready and big for its size.
The chart below provides the ideal ranges of depths and tables for the most common diamond shapes. Top Rate Diamonds always seeks out diamonds with these ideal proportions.
| Round | Oval | Emerald | Pear & Marquise | Heart | Radient & Princess | |
| Table: | 54 - 60% | 53 - 62% | 60 - 78% | 53 - 60% | 53 - 66% | 69 - 80% |
| Depth: | 58 - 63% | 60 - 72% | 60 - 73% | 48 - 65% | 48 - 65% | 66 - 74% |
Diamond Polish Symmetry
Polish refers to the overall finish, or buffing, of the diamond exterior. A proper polish will leave a smooth surface clean of any marks or blurs that could interfere with light entering and exiting the diamond.
Symmetry refers to the alignment of the facets and how well they refract white light into colors. The diamond facets bounce light around inside the diamond and act as a prism to create the sparkle and give the diamond its fiery look. This refraction controls Brilliance and Scintillation.
Polish and Symmetry are graded as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Opt for diamonds with grades of Good or better for both Polish and Symmetry, and avoid Fair and Poor.
Diamond Cut Grades
There are several different grades used by the various labs to rate the overall quality of the cut. The ones you will most likely encounter are as follows:
| Ideal/Excellent : | Reflects nearly all light that enters the diamonds and achieves maximum brilliance. |
| Very Good : | Reflects nearly as much light as an Ideal Cut but for lower price. |
| Good : | Reflects most light that enters the diamond. |
| Fair : | Reflects less light that a good cut. |
| Poor : | These diamonds are poorly cut and tend to lose most of the light. |
Top Rate Diamonds Cut Recommendation:
We always stress quality of the cut over any of the other Four C's. We recommend an Ideal Cut diamond with Excellent Polish and Symmetry. However, if you are looking for a lower-cost alternative, a Very Good cut with Very Good Polish and Symmetry is also a high quality stone.
Have questions or need further assistance? Drop us a line and we will get back to you as soon as possible.