Understanding a Diamond’s Cut February 23, 2009
Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds , trackbackWhen discussing a diamond’s unique qualities, the term diamond cut does not refer to round, princess, or pear. We call those shapes. No, the quality “cut” is addressing the degree at which a diamond’s pavilion is angled, the relation of the diamond’s table to its overall width, and the relationship the depth of the diamond from the edge of the table to the pavilion.
Though that explanation seems overly complicated, it’s also quite important. A diamond’s cut determines how light reflects within and out of the diamond. The better the cut, the more light the diamond will reflect back out. The cut directly influences the diamond’s brilliance (reflected light) and fire (reflected hues), and so is a rather important quality. For lack of a better term, a poorly cut diamond will refuse to shine.
Thankfully, the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America have come up with a much easier grading scale that sums up how well a diamond is cut in plain English.
The Ideal Cut
As the name suggests, a diamond with a cut graded as ideal is the best cut available. The Ideal cut strikes a strong balance between brilliance and fire, and sends most of the reflected light out back through the top of the diamond. These cuts are the top 15% of all diamonds.
The Very Good Cut
Slightly less reflective than an ideal cut, the Very Good cut diamonds tend to be slightly larger in size, which makes them an economical trade off. These diamonds represent the top 25% of all cut and polished diamonds and they still reflect much of the light they catch.
The Good Cut
Diamonds described as Good is where the cut starts to have a noticeable effect on brilliance. When viewed under optimal lighting, Good diamonds will reflect a good bit of light, however, light which is shined at them off center will often end up being reflected out of the diamond’s pavilion because it is either too shallow or too deep. The obvious upside to these diamonds is they are noticeably less expensive than the grades above them.
Fair and Poor cut
These diamonds do not reflect a sufficient amount of light, and are not sold at Danforth Diamonds.
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A diamond’s cut determines how light reflects within and out of the diamond. The better the cut, the more light the diamond will reflect back out. The cut directly influences the diamond’s brilliance and fire, and so is a rather important quality. For lack of a better term, a poorly cut diamond will refuse to shine.