DIAMOND CUT

DIAMOND CUT
DIAMOND POLISH AND SYMMETRY
DIAMOND SHAPE

The Cut of a Diamond is considered by gemologists, diamond experts and jewelers alike, to be the most significant characteristic of the 4 C's. Despite a diamond having the highest grade color and clarity, it will look dull, lifeless and lacking in "life" or brilliance if the stone is poorly cut. Diamonds should sparkle, meaning that light be reflected out of the face of the stone.

The width and depth proportion of the diamonds as well as the polish and symmetry will determine the amount of light that is reflected as described below (double click on the picture to see details and to read the text) :

The cut of a diamond is what determines how the light that enters the diamond is reflected and therefore how much fire and brilliance the diamond will exude. A diamond that is cut too shallow with respect to its width will allow too much light to pass straight through the diamond, leaving little light to reflect. Such a diamond will apear dull and lacking in brilliance. Conversely, a diamond cut too deeply will allow light to escape from the sides of the diamond, also appearing dull.

POLISH AND SYMMETRY

In addition to the proportions of the diamond, both the polish and symmetry affect the beauty and brilliance. Poor symmetry due to uneven alignment of the facets will cause the light to be misdirected and therefore not shine out the face of the diamond. Unsmooth facets or pour polish will cause the survace to look dull and may cause the diamond to look cloudy.

DIAMOND SHAPE

Round Cut Diamonds
The Round, or Brilliant Cut Diamond is, by far, the most popular shape for diamond engagement rings. It is cone-shaped to maximize light return through the top of the diamond. It is cut to have 58 facets-33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. The relationship between the angle of the crown (above the girdle) and the pavilion (below the girdle) is complementary. A steep crown angle is complemented by a shallower pavilion angle, and vice versa.

Princess Cut Diamonds
Princess cut diamonds can make the perfect engagement rings since they are very clear. Their exquisite shape makes them an exotiv treasure-as they are designed for getting top brilliance from their square cut. When purchasing a Princess Cut Diamond make sure that the setting for your ring protects the four pointed corners. The princess Cut diamond allows more acceptably for flaws

Radiant Cut Diamonds

The Radiant Cut Diamond combines the more stylish square or rectangular shape with the brilliance of the more traditional Round Cut. It combines two diamond cutting styles-The Round Cut style and the Emerald Cut style, to create a non-traditional, yet still brilliant, diamond. This cut, created in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, was designed to maintain the beauty of each different type of diamond, while still creating something altogether different from anything available at the time.

Emerald Cut Diamonds

While it lacks the brilliance of diamonds cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, it more than makes up for it in extreme clarity. It is like looking into glacier-pur ice. The Emerald-Cut diamond is so named because this cut was, originally, used only on emeralds. It is called a step-cut, which is the cut most commonly used on square or rectangular diamonds.

Marquise Cut Diamonds

The Marquise-Cut Diamond is a boat -shaped brilliant stone that is considered a "classic" shape for diamond engagement rings. As with all 'fancy cut' diamonds, color and clarity are the two most important qualities in this particular style of cut. The Marquise-Cut Diamond uses a cutting process similar to that of a Round Brilliant Diamond, but the diamond cutter maximizes the carat weight of the gem by elongating it into its distinctive 'boat-shape'. This way, they can eliminate all inclusions while maintaining as much of the unblemished stone as possible. However, because of the elongated shape, color and clarity imperfections are more obvious than they are in a traditional Round Brilliant.

Oval Cut Diamonds

The Oval Cut Diamond is a modified version of the most popular cut, the Round Brilliant. It is the perfect choice for buyers who are looking for characteristics similar to Round "ideal" Cut, but would like something in a shape that is more suited to their style. Since it is more unusual than the traditional Round Cut, it is suited for anyone who likes something a little different, without sacrificing the brilliance of the more common cut.

Pear Shaped Diamonds

The Pear-Shaped Diamond combines the tradition and brilliance of a round cut with a less common shape to create an unusual diamond that can still make light 'dance' as it does in the traditional Round Brilliant Cut. It is probably the most subjective diamond shape, as its size and proportions are really a matter of taste. The diamond usually contains 58 facets, allowing for light to pass through it much the same way in a Round, but makes more of an impression because of its much less common shape.

Heart Shaped Diamonds
The Heart-Shaped Diamond is considered the most romantic of all diamond cuts. Heart-Shaped Diamonds are also considered 'brilliants', because they are cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, causing light to 'dance' when reflected back. A Heart-Shaped Diamond generally contains 59 facets, and is cut much the same way that a Pear-Shaped Diamond is. Often, a diamond cutter will cut a Heart-Shaped Diamond because the cleft at the top of the heart is a way of cutting out inclussions without loosing carat weight.

Asscher Cut Diamonds
The Asscher-Cut Diamond is also called a "square Emerald-Cut" because it is made using the step-cut process and has cropped corners. Because of the cropped corners, it is almost octagonal at first glance. They are bright, shiny, and clear in appearance. Like the Emerald-Cut Diamonds, they have the clarity of glacier-water ice, allowing you to see all the way through it. Since inclusions are obvious, it is important to get as flawless a gem as possible.

Cushion Cut Diamonds
The Cushion-Cut Diamond is an antique cut that has a classic, romantic appeal. It is, more or less, a cross between the Old Mine Cut, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a modern Oval-Cut Diamond. The Old Mine Cut featured large facets and rounded corners, since the cutting was all done by hand at the time. They were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight. The Cushion-Cut Diamond contains 58 facets.


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