Diamond Buying Guide : Diamond Cut

submited by

Style Pass

2021-07-13 06:30:03

First, don't confuse diamond "cut" with "shape." Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, (such as round, emerald, or pear).

When it comes to grading diamond's, the "Cut" is a grade of the diamond's reflective qualities — not the diamond's shape.

The diamond industry uses the word "cut" in two different ways. First, it's used to describe the shape of a diamond (for example, an "emerald cut" diamond). The second way "diamond cut" is used is to describe the reflective qualities of a diamond. The reflective quality of the diamond is determined by how well the diamond was cut.

Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance.

As shown in the images below, when a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table and travels to the pavilion where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer's eye. This light is the brilliance we mentioned, and it's this flashing, fiery effect that makes diamonds so mesmerizing.