The “cut” of a diamond is its finished shape. Most diamond buyers will say that a round brilliant cut is the most expensive, and that’s usually the case. A round brilliant cut consists of 58 perfect facets that reflect light to our eyes. This cut — done well — makes a diamond dance with scintillation, fire and brilliance!
Other Expensive Cuts
Still, some other cuts can be costly. Heart-shaped diamonds, for instance, are quite challenging to cut and demand a larger piece of rough stone. So high-quality heart-shaped diamonds can be expensive, and it’s not just because they’re romantic. Try drawing a perfectly symmetrical heart on a piece of paper, and you’ll begin to see why. Now, imagine producing a perfect heart in three dimensions!
But there’s more to a diamond’s cut than shape. Round brilliants can be gorgeous and lifelike, sparkling with rainbow flash. Or, they can look like a piece of lifeless glass. It’s all about the faceting and the behavior of light within the diamond.
The Importance of Diamond Cut Grades per GIA
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the world’s most respected certifying organization for diamonds and colored gems.
- GIA says more than 70% of the high-quality diamonds on the market today are round brilliant cuts.
- And diamond experts usually consider the cut of a stone to be the most important of the “Four C’s” of diamond grading.
At Victoria Marie Jewelers, our diamond experts tend to agree! So let’s take a quick look at diamond cut grading.
Diamond Cut Grading
When scoring a round brilliant or any diamond cut, experts consider:
- Brightness, fire and scintillation of a diamond when viewed from the top. (We’ve written more about that, too.)
- How well a diamond was cut for durability and weight.
- The quality of craftsmanship that went into aligning and polishing the diamond’s facets.
But, as a diamond buyer, you must look past the grading of a stone. Remember that every diamond is a unique entity. Two diamonds with the same carat weight, cut and grade might look very different when set in jewelry. So take your time and choose the stone that really speaks to you. If you’d like to learn more about our wide variety of outstanding diamonds, contact us.
