Rough diamonds can be cut by experts to virtually any shape and size
Some of the most popular shapes are round, oval, princess, emerald, marquise, pear, heart, triangle and radiant. The cut of a polished diamond is the only human contribution to its beauty, fire and brilliance.
Because of its extraordinary ability to reflect light, the round brilliant diamond is the most popular shape today.
Cut determines amount of reflected light that exits through the top of a diamond. The better the cut, the more light exits through the top, the more brilliant and beautiful the diamond.
Is cut important? Many gemologists consider cut to be the most important diamond characteristic:
So, why don’t we hear more about cut? Diamond sellers prefer to talk about carat weight, color and clarity. That’s because those measures are relatively simple to explain:
Even the most reputable gemological laboratories try to avoid grading cut. In fact, only the AGS (American Gemological Society) has an established system for grading cut. Hopefully, the GIA, EGL, UGL will follow their lead.
How is cut graded? First, let’s look at the parts of a diamond that are considered when evaluating cut:
Diameterthe width of the diamond as measured through the girdleTablethe largest facet of a diamondCrownthe top portion of the diamond; the crown extends from the girdle to the tableGirdlethe narrow band around the widest part of the diamond; the girdle separates the crown from the pavilionPavilionthe bottom portion of the diamond; the pavilion extends from the girdle to the culetCuletthe facet at the tip of the diamond; diamonds of excellent cut have culets that are invisible to the naked eyeDepththe height of the diamond; depth is measured from the table to the culetTo determine the diamond’s cut grade:
The symmetry of the diamond is evaluated The final cut grade of the diamond is determined by its weakest component. For example, an ‘extremely thin’ girdle will result in a poor cut grade, even if every other measurement is ideal.
Remember: Only about 3% of polished diamonds are ideal cuts. They are exquisite and rare gems that reflect back 96% or more of the light that enters through the table.
No other diamond characteristic has so much impact on price!
To see a different types of diamond cuts please visit http://www.diamondswest.com
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