Diamond Cut is the most important property to increase its beauty because a well-cut
diamond reflects light to maximize the stone's brilliance. A diamond with perfect
color and clarity could nevertheless have poor brilliance if it is not well cut.
After a proper cutting, size of the stone may reduce by half but its market value
may increase more than four times for its brilliance and sparkle. Diamonds have
a unique ability to manipulate light efficiently. This exceptional ability can be
revealed and maximized only by cutting and polishing the diamond to an extremely
high level of accuracy.
It is very essential to know Diamond Anatomy before understanding Cut.
Diamond Anatomy
- Diameter: Width of a diamond measured through the Girdle.
- Table: Largest facet of a gemstone.
- Crown: Top portion of a diamond extending from the Girdle to the
Table.
- Girdle: Intersection of the Crown and Pavilion which defines the
perimeter of the diamond.
- Pavilion: Bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the Girdle
to the Culet.
- Culet: Facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred Culet is not
visible with an unaided eye (graded "none" or "small").
- Depth: Height of a gemstone measured from the Culet to the Table.
The cut of a diamond establishes how it reflects light, which is responsible for
its sparkle or brilliance. Cut has following three components:
Diamond Cut by Shape
A Diamond Cut by Shape describes the outline of the stone and pattern of the facet
arrangement. A stone can be cut in various Shapes like Round, Princess, Heart, Oval,
Pear etc. We will understand various diamond shapes in
Shape part.
Diamond Cut by Depth
A Diamond Cut by Depth is the ultimate feature for its brilliance and fire.
Shallow Cut: Shallow Cut will let light lost through a diamond's
bottom causing it to appear dull.
Deep Cut: Deep Cut will allow light to be lost through a diamond's
sides causing it to appear dark.
Ideal Cut: Ideal Cut is considered as the best cut and it will reflect
most or all of the light that enters in the diamond back to the eyes.
Quality of a diamond's cut can be determined on the basis of its power to reflect
light. They can be broadly characterized as Ideal, excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair
or Poor. Ideal or Excellent cuts release the inner brilliance of the stone and project
maximum amount of fire and sparkle where as Very Good, Good and Fair cuts loose
some light that enters the diamond. A poor cut looses most of its light from the
diamond sides / bottom and it may even have some "dead" spots inside.
Diamond Polish and Symmetry
Polish and symmetry are two important aspects of the cutting process. The Diamond
Polish expresses the smoothness of the diamond's facets where as the Symmetry refers
to alignment of the facets. A poor Diamond Polish, or rough facets, can diminish
a diamond's brilliance, as well as its value.
Diamonds are found in all colors of the rainbow, from colorless and transparent
stones to ink black ones. Varying degrees of yellow or brown color is common in
most of the diamonds and slight difference in color can make a substantial difference
in value. A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare and considered the most valuable.
It allows most light to pass through the stone and create the most brilliance.
During formation of Diamond from carbon, certain chemicals may have been drawn into
the mix and results in added tinge of color in the transparent stone.
Most diamonds appear white to the naked eye, but they all include trace amounts
of yellow or brown color. The color scale goes from D to Z (no diamond of color
grade A, B or C has ever been found), with D being the most white and Z being the
most yellow. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it
against a white surface.
Diamond Color Grade Table
|
Color Grade |
Description |
On Unaided Eye Inspection
|
 |
Colorless |
Stone looks absolutely clear and transparent, with no hint of color. |
 |
Near Colorless |
Stone looks clear and transparent. Color will be noticeable by experts only when
compared to diamonds of better grades. |
 |
Faint yellow |
Color slightly detectable and will be noticeable by experts only. |
 |
Very Light yellow |
Stone shows an increasing yellow tint, even to an untrained eye. |
 |
Light yellow |
Stone appears yellow, even to an untrained eye. |
 |
Fancy |
Bright, remarkable color - usually blue, pink, yellow, Red etc. |
Fancy Colored Diamonds
Although majority of diamonds come in shades of white, there are also "Fancy"
natural intensely colored diamonds available in colors like yellow, pink, greens,
brown, red, orange, blue etc. These intensely colored diamonds are very rare, attractive
and desirable. A deeply colored diamond can cost more than its colorless counterpart.
These intensely colored diamonds are known as "Fancy" colored or "Fancies".
Fancy colored diamonds are graded in two ways. The first factor is the basic hue,
such as pink, yellow, blue, green, etc. The second is the intensity. Both color
characteristics form the basis for determining a fancy colored diamond's worth.
In fancy colored diamonds, Z+ grade is used for their color grading. Usually, the
more intense the color, the rarer and more expensive the diamond will be. For example,
a fancy light pink diamond costs less than a fancy vivid pink diamond of equal size,
shape and clarity. Though fancy colored diamonds rarely occur in nature, laboratories
can easily create them through irradiation and heating. This process can permanently
turn a natural colorless diamond into a fancy colored diamond. Treatments have also
been developed to make lower-color white diamonds whiter. Irradiated colored diamonds
have a significantly lower value than natural fancy diamonds and can be detected
in a gem laboratory.
Fluorescent Diamonds
Fluorescence is a form of illumination that is created when a diamond is exposed
to low or high wave ultraviolet radiation. Fluorescence up to some extent is common
in majority of diamonds. Faint or medium fluorescence will rarely affect a diamond's
appearance. Usually fluorescence remains unnoticed by human eyes in ordinary light.
Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on
the surface of a diamond. In other words, the clarity of a diamond refers to a diamond's
clearness or purity.
When these flaws / marks occur internally, they are called inclusions and the most
common types of inclusions include Crystals, Tiny Bubbles representing small minerals
that were absorbed into the diamond while it was growing, Internal Graining, Needles,
Knots, Chips, Cavities, Cleavage, Feathers, and Clouds. On the contrary, when these
flaws / marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes and the most common
types of blemishes include Polish lines, Naturals, Scratches, Nicks, Pits, transparent
stress lines that appear on a diamond's surface, surface graining, and extra facets,
that are usually cut to remove a near-surface inclusion to raise the clarity grade
of a stone. Most diamonds have these imperfections in them. Although many of these
flaws are not visible to the naked eye, but under magnification, tiny featherlike
shapes, crystals, bubbles and dark flecks become noticeable. These slight flaws
make every diamond quite unique but they also do affect the beauty and value of
the diamond.
Diamond's clarity is based on the number, size, nature, and location of imperfections
on the finished stone. Diamond with higher clarity is more valuable in comparison
to diamond that contains numerous inclusions because it is less brilliant due to
inclusions interfering with light passing through it.
Diamond Clarity Grading Scale Table
|
Image |
Clarity Grade Scale |
Description |
On Inspection through 10x magnification |
 |
F |
Flawless |
Clear Stone, no inclusions or blemishes. Exceptional and beautiful diamonds. |
 |
IF |
Internally Flawless |
No inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes. Rare and beautiful diamonds. |
 |
VVS1 – VVS2 |
Very, Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2 |
Tiny inclusions, which are extremely difficult to find, even under 10x magnifications.
An excellent quality diamond. |
 |
VS1 – VS2 |
Very Slightly Included – 1 & 2 |
Minor inclusions, which are difficult to see under 10 x magnification. These stones
are less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades. |
 |
SI1 – SI2 |
Slightly Included – 1 & 2 |
Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification. A good diamond value. |
 |
I1 – I2 – I3 |
Included – 1, 2 & 3 |
Inclusions, which are easy to see under 10 x magnification and sometimes, may be
visible with the unaided eye. A good diamond value. Generally I3 grade is not used
for jewelry purposes and mostly used in industrial applications.
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The term "Carat" refers to the weight of a diamond. It is derived from the carob
seeds, which are remarkably consistent in weight and shape and so were the favored
scale balances in ancient times. This was standardized in 1907 and after that 1
carat became 0.2 grams or 1/142 of an ounce. Furthermore, each carat is divided
into 100 points. Therefore, ¼ carat diamond is considered as 25 points and ½ carat
diamond is considered as 50 points and so on. This term 'Carat' is different from
the term 'Karat' which is used to describe gold's fineness or purity. When we consider
all four Cs, that determine value of diamond, we can find Carat weight most accurately
and easily by using a delicately balanced scale capable of weighing extremely small
stones.
Diamond's Carat Weight Scale
There is one significant fact about diamond’s weight and price. When diamonds
are mined, large diamonds are discovered rarely in comparison of small ones, which
make large diamonds much more valuable. For that reason, the price of a diamond
rises exponentially with its size. So, a 2 carat diamond of a given quality is always
worth much more than two 1 carat diamonds of the equal quality. Although larger
stones are often more highly valued, but size should not be the only consideration.
High brilliance, which varies according to clarity, cut, and color grade, is highly
desirable in a diamond.
A Diamond Cut by Shape describes the outline of the stone and pattern of the facet
arrangement. Although diamonds are available in various shapes like Round, Princess,
Heart, Oval, Pear etc., but when most people think of diamonds, what comes to their
mind is the modern round brilliant cut because in jewelry industry, this shape is
sold more than 75% of all diamonds. All other non-round shapes are called fancy
shapes and these different diamond shapes show individual's style and personality.
The most popular and stylish shapes are defined as under:
Round Brilliant Cut
The Round Brilliant Cut diamond is the most traditional and popular of all the diamond
shapes. Many experts consider this shape ideal for a diamond because it maximizes
its sparkle. It has 58 facets which offer great brilliance and stability. This shape
of diamond is most commonly used in solitaire diamond engagement rings.
Princess Cut
The Princess Cut is most popular non-round diamond. Its beautiful brilliance and
unique cut makes it a favorite for engagement rings. The princess has pointed corners
and is traditionally square in shape. The ideal princess cut will have length to
width ratio is as close to 1.00:1.00 as possible, as princess cut diamonds can range
from this perfect square through to almost rectangular.
Emerald Cut
The Emerald Cut diamond is a square or rectangular shaped stone with cut corners.
This is also known as Step Cut because it has rows of facets, usually 48 to 50,
that resemble a staircase. Due to its larger, more open table, this shape highlights
the clarity of a diamond but with fewer facets brings less brilliance than the other
shapes.
Oval Cut
The Oval Cut is also a beautiful shape and provides great brilliance and fire through
its 56 facets. A well cut Oval shaped diamond can be almost as bright as a well
cut Round Brilliant shaped diamond.
Marquise Cut
The Marquise Cut is a traditional shape having elongated ends at both edges. The
pointed ends make this shape the most fragile and the most expensive of brilliant
style cuts. It has a total of 56 facets, construction of which requires a lot of
experience and the delicacy of its sharp points demands utmost precaution. Now-a-days
this shape is very popular for engagement rings.
Pear Cut
The Pear Cut diamond is often called a teardrop due to its single point and rounded
end with 56 to 58 facets. This shape is popular for its uniqueness and brilliance.
Pear Shape diamond is mostly used in pendants and also a good choice for a hand
with smaller fingers.
Asscher Cut
The Asscher Cut is a modified version of the Emerald Cut. This shape is named after
Joseph Asscher of Holland who was an eminent diamond cutter. In 1902, his company,
Asscher Diamond Co., developed and patented the Asscher Cut, a squarer step cut
with an almost octagonal outline. This new cut enhanced the fire and light of the
stone; it had a small table, a high crown, wide step facets, a deep pavilion and
square culet.
Radiant Cut
The Radiant Cut is a rectangular or square stone with cut corners. This shape comes
with 62 to 70 facets and offers the elegance of the emerald shape with the brilliance
of the princess shape. Trimmed corners are the signature of this shape, and they
help to make the radiant cut a popular and versatile choice for jewelry. Diamonds
with radiant shape look very good when adorned with baguettes or round side stones.
Heart Cut
The human heart is the ultimate symbol of love and the Heart Cut is regarded as
the most romantic of all the shapes. The Heart shaped diamond is essentially a pear-shaped
diamond with a cleft at the top and it typically contains 59 facets. Due to the
complexity of the shape, skilled cutting is necessary to maintain the diamond’s
brilliance. Generally people prefer a heart shape diamond for sentimental purposes.
This shape is mostly used in pendants, but also suitable for most jewelry
items.
Cushion Cut
Cushion Cut diamonds are also known as "pillow cut" diamonds. This shape ranging
from square to rectangular and it has rounded corners and larger facets to increase
its brilliance. These larger facets also highlight the diamond's clarity.
Baguette Cut
The Baguette Cut diamonds are generally used to fill in channels or stable grooved
tracks around a gemstone centerpiece. This shape is similar to emerald shape.
Trilliant Cut
The Trilliant Cut is one of the unusual cuts and the diamond with this shape displays
a very sharp brilliance or fire. This triangular shaped diamonds may either have
pointed corners or more rounded corners.
Acquisition of a Diamond or Diamond Jewelry is an important expression of love or
accomplishment but on the same time it also represents a major investment of money.
It is essential for you to know the credentials of the diamond and obtain confidence
in the integrity of what you have acquired.
A Diamond Certificate or Diamond Grading Report is a statement, issued by an independent
Gemological Laboratory, that at the time of evaluation, the diamond in question
has been examined, measured, and scrutinized by experienced Diamond Graders, using
various gemological instruments, and determined to contain the characteristics as
stated in the Certificate or Report.
In other words, a diamond certificate can be accurately described as the blueprint
of a diamond. This Certificate or Report includes an analysis of the diamond's characteristics
in an easy to understand format. Generally a certificate or report covers following
characteristics of a diamond along with the laboratory and certificate details:
- Name of the Laboratory
- Certificate Number
- Shape and Cutting Style
- Measurements of the Diamond's diameter
- Carat Weight
- Color Grade
- Clarity Grade
- Cut Grade
- Finish, Polish & Symmetry
- Fluorescence
- Comments
- Plotted diagram of the diamond for the imperfections.
- Key to Symbols that helps us to identify characteristics marked in the plot.
- Security Features for the Certificate
- Graphical image of Diamond Structure
- Information about Diamond's Depth, Table, Girdles, Culet and Facets etc.
This certificate doesn't state monetary value of a diamond.
There are many laboratories available through out the world for diamond certification
but below mentioned laboratories are considered as most respected ones in the industry,
for their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems.
- The Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
The Gemological Institute of America was established in 1931 in Los Angeles. The
GIA created and introduced the international grading system. Headquarters are still
located in Los Angeles.
- The Diamond High Council (HRD)
The Diamond High Council is the officially recognized representative of the Belgium
diamond trade and industry. HRD headquarters are located in Antwerp, World Diamond
Center.
- The American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL)
The American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) was established in 1934 in Las Vegas,
Nevada by Robert M. Shipley, who also established the GIA.
- International Gemological Institute (IGI)
The International Gemological Institute was established in 1975 in Antwerp. This
laboratory is also having labs in New York, Bangkok, Mumbai and Tokyo.
Securing a certificate will provide you a much-needed peace of mind knowing that
you are getting your money's worth. Here are some reasons to buy a diamond along
with its certificate:
- A diamond certificate gives you the exact details of the stone and on the basis
of this information you will be able to do some comparison-shopping before doing
the actual purchase.
- A diamond certificate allows you to pay money on the basis of stone's characteristics.
Your jeweler wont be able to charge you more and there are very good chances to
get the best deals.
- On re-sale of diamond along with its certificate, you will get better price for
the diamond.
- To get insurance for your diamond, you also need to produce diamond certificate.
It is a standard practice in the Diamond Industry, to ask for a Diamond's Certificate
or Grading Report from the jeweler before the purchase of it.
Diamonds are forever as they are the hardest known substances on earth. But due
to our day-to-day activities, it is inevitable that our precious diamond pieces
get dirty and soiled. Even they can be scratched, chipped or dulled if not handled
correctly. With proper care, they can last a lifetime and can even be handed down
as heirlooms to future generations without losing their shining and sparkle. So
here are some tips that will help you to preserve the life and beauty of your diamond:
Cleaning of Diamond Jewelry
Regular cleaning of Diamond Jewelry is essential to maintain shine and brilliance
of diamonds. On wearing them, they get dirty as you use various skin and body care
regimen such as soaps, lotions and even our skin's natural oils. Even when you are
not wearing them, they collect dust. If you are cleaning your diamond jewelry by
your own then it will take few minutes but before cleaning, you should be aware
about the cleaning at home and cleaning by a professional jeweler:
- You can use a small soft brush such as an eyebrow or lip stick brush, soap and water
to clean your diamond jewelry. Simply make a bowl of warm sudsy water with a mild
detergent and gently place your jewelry pieces in the mixture. Then brush the diamonds
with the soft bristles of the brush while they are in the suds. You will need to
make certain that you rinse them clear of the suds after cleaning them. After this
process, use a soft cloth or a jewelry polish cloth to pat them dry.
- If you feel that your diamond jewelry is in need of a stronger cleansing then you
can use a solution of one part ammonia and six parts water for cleaning the diamonds.
Once they are soaked for 30 minutes, remove them and gently brush the mountings
with a small soft brush. Then use the mixture of soap and water to wash them and
after that use a soft cloth to pat them dry.
- But if you find yourself too busy to be mixing soaps and ammonias, you can use liquid
jewelry cleaners which are sold by many departmental stores. You can find these
liquid jewelry cleaners in kit form. You just need to follow all the written precautions
and instructions of cleaning.
- In cleaning process, treat metal settings gently as gold can scratch.
- It is also a good idea to have them cleaned once a year by a professional jeweler,
where he will check security of the settings. He will also give advice for repair
of loose or bent prongs which hold your diamond in place. This will prevent your
diamond from falling out of its setting and becoming lost.
Storing of Diamond Jewelry
Storing of diamond jewelry is also important as a diamond can scratch another diamond,
as well as other jewelry pieces. Storage of diamond jewelry needs following precautions:
- Diamond jewelry should be stored individually in a soft cloth pouch to ensure that
a diamond should not scratch other diamonds or other jewelry.
- Diamond jewelry pieces are best stored in a fabric-lined jewel case or in a box
with compartments or dividers.
Wearing Precautions for Diamond Jewelry
- You should not wear diamond jewelry while doing heavy work. Even though a diamond
is extremely durable, it can be chipped by a hard blow, and even everyday activity
can loosen jewelry setting.
- You should avoid the situation where your diamonds come in contact with chlorine
bleach, hair spray or other chemicals because they can pit or discolor the mounting.
If you will follow the above mentioned caring tips then your diamond jewelry will
always shine and sparkle likes a new one.
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