The Essentials You Need To Know When Purchasing and Caring For Your Diamond.
Diamond Cut

Why are Some Diamonds More Beautiful Than Others?

The first step in purchasing an awesome diamond is to understand why some diamonds have more brilliance, fire (beauty), and sparkle (scintillation) than others. Ever notice that some diamonds seem to take your breath away? Ever wonder why they don't all look the same? An uneducated consumer will often think that it is the diamond's clarity. However, most imperfections are too small to see without magnification, having little or no impact on a diamond’s brilliance, fire, and sparkle power.

The intensity of a diamond’s overall beauty is determined by the decisions of the diamond cutter. Diamonds are bought and sold by weight. During the cutting process as much as 50% of a rough diamond will be cut away, lost as dust. Therefore, when more of the diamond’s weight can be conserved, the higher the manufacturer's yield and the less expensive the diamond will be per carat. Often, maximizing weight leads to diamonds that are very deep or too shallow, greatly reducing their brilliance, fire, and sparkle. To maximize a diamond's qualities, cutters have to cut away more during polishing and this adds to the finished cost per carat of the diamond. In other words, poorly cut diamonds will leak light and have less brilliance, fire, and sparkle than more expensive diamonds that are cut to more exacting standards. For the most beautiful diamond, look for the best cut that you can afford.

Maximizing Rough

The diagram above demonstrates how an uncut diamond can be fashioned as an "Ideal Cut", or "Standard Cut". The "Ideal Cut" diamond has better proportions and light performance, while the "Standard Cut" will be cut to maximize the rough.

About Diamond Cut