Diamonds 202: Cut
Happy Friday, friends! It's that time again; time to revisit the world of diamonds. “Stall & Kessler's Diamond Center”, it's in our name, so of course we're going to delve a little deeper beyond the 4 C's. Brianna gave us a very thorough overview of the 4 C's: Color, Clarity, Cut, & Carat weight a few weeks ago, and we’d like to dive deeper into one of those “C’s” today. We’ll begin with one simple question:
Which C is the most important in determining the quality of your diamond?Most people would guess color, and while the most important factor varies from person to person, cut is widely accepted as the most important “C.” Let’s learn a bit more about why that’s the case:
We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear). While some may use the terms “shape” and “cut” interchangeably, The Gemological Institute of America actually defines them separately. According to GIA, the “cut” of a diamond actually refers to how a diamond’s facets interact with light. After all, diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance or sparkle. A diamond’s cut will also determine:
- Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
- Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
- Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond
Achieving the best cut for a diamond reflects in the stone’s final beauty and value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze. The GIA Cut Grading System evaluates the cut quality of a round brilliant diamond along a five-point scale ranging from Excellent to Poor.
A GIA cut grade evaluates:
- How the diamond appears when viewed face-up based on the attributes of brightness, fire and scintillation
- How well the diamond was designed to ensure durability and optimal weight
- The quality of the workmanship or craftsmanship that went into aligning and polishing the diamond’s facets
Each shape will be cut differently. Before a diamond is cut, the location of inclusions and flaws, the natural coloration, and the original shape of the rough stone are studied extensively. The stone facets are then mapped out and cut in a way that maximizes size, shape, and clarity. For optimal light performance, you will want a diamond that is cut neither too shallow nor too deep.
Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond. It takes, on average, 10 years of practice on smaller diamonds before an apprentice is able to cut a diamond of 1 carat or larger. It takes an extraordinary amount of skill and time to cut a diamond into it's ideal cut.
At Stall & Kessler's you can find a wide range of diamonds. We hand select every diamond that we have in the store, using strict standards and choosing only those of the highest quality. Stop in to see them for yourself, we'd love to show you our favorite diamonds with excellent cuts!