DIAMOND CUT

Brilliance is the white light reflection from the inside and surface of a diamond.

Dispersion, also known as fire, refers to the flashes of different colours of the rainbow refracted from a diamond.

Scintillation is the flashes of light you see when a diamond is moved. It is the contrast between the darker and lighter areas (the sparkle).

Diamond Cut is not to be confused with Diamond Shape.

The Cut is how well the diamond has been fashioned from the original rough stone.

The Shape is the outline of the diamond. Shape provides you with options like that of Round which you are probably a little more familiar with as well as Princess, Oval, Marquise and other Fancy Shapes also.

At Angelic Diamonds we offer three different cut grades for Round Brilliant Diamonds... let’s dive into what those are a little deeper.
 

Excellent/Ideal Cut

Excellent Cut diamonds are the best cut available.

Diamonds in the Excellent Cut classification are precisely fashioned and perfectly proportioned to create maximum brilliance, dispersion and sparkle. They reflect the maximum amount of light that enters the diamond.

Excellent Cut is very rare, this class represents the top 3% of all diamonds in the world, and for this reason they do command a premium price.

If sparkle is the most important thing for you we would recommend Excellent Cut.

Very good cut

Very Good Cut diamonds are barely distinguishable from Excellent Cut to the naked eye.

They do come at a lower price therefore offering fantastic value for money.

They reflect almost all the light out of the diamond.

If you opt for Very Good Cut you will be selecting a diamond that is in the top 15% in the world.

Very Good offers an ideal middle ground. For example, if you want to get a nice mix of all selections across the board, we normally recommend VS2 Clarity, F Colour and Very Good Cut. This offers great selections all-round without having to go for the highest and most expensive.

Good cut

Good Cut diamonds reflect a good amount of light.

They still provide a high degree of sparkle from the diamond. Good Cut diamonds will not look dull, they will still sparkle, just not as much so as Very Good or Excellent Cut for example.

They offer fantastic value for money without having to make major compromises to a diamonds appearance.

Good Cut diamonds are still in the very top 25% of diamonds in the world.

This class could be a good option for yourself if you are working to a particular budget, or if you prefer to go higher with other selections like that of Clarity and Colour.

We don’t source any diamonds lower than Good Cut.

Fair Cut and Poor Cut

Fair Cut diamonds maintain some sparkle but considerably less than Good Cut.

Poor Cut diamonds loose most of their light out the sides and bottom of the diamond therefore have very poor sparkle.

These diamonds have very little brilliance, dispersion and sparkle and are less visually appealing.

For these reasons these are not cut grades we sell or would recommend. They will not make sparkling jewellery or adhere to the high quality standard that we offer here at Angelic Diamonds.
 

The Cut mentioned so far is in relation to how well diamonds are proportioned. It is worth noting that fundamentally there are two different types of Cut and that is why some diamonds look and sparkle differently.
 

Brilliant Cut is the most common style for cutting diamonds, with the original and most well known of these being the Round Brilliant Cut. Fashioned from the Round Brilliant Cut there then came Modified Brilliant Cuts like that of Princess, Marquise and Heart.

The Round Brilliant Cut consists of 58, triangular shaped facets for optimum sparkle and maximum brilliance and fire.

Most other Fancy Shape Brilliant Cut diamonds consist of around 56-58 facets also, the Radiant Cut usually consists of 70 facets.
 

A diamond facet, or face, is a flat surface on a diamond. Every shape and cut diamond has multiple facets, these are what allows a diamond to absorb, reflect and refract light.

With Step Cut diamonds the facets are elongated and placed in rows.

Examples of Step Cut would be Emerald and Asscher shapes. Some styles, like Cushion, are a mixture of both; these are called mixed cuts.

Each cutting style has its own unique style and light-reflecting properties.

Step Cut diamonds do still sparkle, just in a slightly different way. They are slightly simpler in presentation offering a less cluttered look.

One thing to keep in mind with Step Cut diamonds is that inclusions can appear more obvious. Essentially, there is a larger, plain surface on the top (table) of the diamond. There is more clear space to see inclusions.

Emerald diamonds usually consist of 57 facts and Asscher diamonds around 50-58.

Polish and Symmetry

The 4 C’s are the main things to consider when looking at and buying a diamond. This is why you have the choice of these online.

Other specifications, like that of Fluorescence, Polish and Symmetry, are important also.

We always source each and every customer the best diamond that is available. We have minimum grades that we source and adhere to for the above selections. If you have specific requirements or would like to guarantee any grades for Fluorescence, Polish and Symmetry please get in touch and we can always look to source a diamond that meets these for you.

You can find out all about Fluorescence here,

Polish is the overall smoothness and condition of diamonds facets

Symmetry is the arrangement of diamonds facets

Polish and Symmetry do influence the stones cut grade which we know by now affects and can create brilliance, dispersion and scintillation.

When diamond facets are balanced well and aligned, the stone has Symmetry.

You can see some flaws in diamond symmetry below. Poor Symmetry, for example an off centre table, may reduce diamond sparkle.

After the cutting process has occurred, every facet must be polished.

If scratches or polish lines remain, this can affect light performance and obtain a lower Polish Grade.

A poor grade for Polish can make the diamond appear slightly blurred or dull. If there are no scratches, lines or burn marks, or very minor ones, this can mean a higher Polish Grade. Higher Polish grades can help obtain the maximum sparkle for your diamond.
 

It is only Round diamonds that are graded by Cut. They are in principle easier to measure in terms of light reflection, refraction and therefore performance.

The Gemmological Institute of America, which is the largest and most reputable diamond grading lab in the world, currently state that:

‘An internationally accepted system for visually evaluating the appearance of fancy-cut diamonds does not exist at this time. At GIA, research is underway to develop the basic concepts for designing and implementing such a system’.

https://www.gia.edu/gia-faq-analysis-grading-system-fancy-shape-diamond

At Angelic Diamonds we always source the best diamond there is available to meet your specifications. In terms of dimensions we operate within certain parameters, ratios and proportions for Fancy Shape diamonds that would class them as the equivalent to Very Good/Excellent grades.
 

You will find a lot of people that say that Cut is 100% the most important specification to consider when choosing a diamond. Really, there is no right or wrong answer.

The way we see it is that you have to choose what is right for you. If sparkle is the most important thing for yourself then it will be best to go for a higher Cut over a higher Colour grade for example. Each selection is equally important and things like getting the best diamond overall, as well as what budget will allow, have to be considered.