Diamond Cut
What is Cut?
Rather than describing the shape of a stone, cut refers to the proportion, symmetry brilliance and polish of a diamond. This means that the diamond cutter has taken into account the inherent characteristics of each individual stone and chose the best way to shape it to accentuate its beauty.
How does a diamond get it's sparkle?
A diamond gets its brilliance and scintillation by the cutting and polishing of its facets, allowing the maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be reflected and dispersed back through the top.
The Perfect Cut
Diamond Cut by Depth
With perfect cutting the light passes through the top, bounces off the sides, and then travels back out the top, giving the diamond optimum brilliance. If the diamond is cut too deep, light passes through the side of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow, light passes through the bottom of the diamond, also inhibiting maximum brilliance.
A poorly cut diamond will lack the lustre and glow of its premium-cut counterparts, and for this reason, master diamond cutters will often sacrifice carat weight to improve the cut of a stone.
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.