Cut is one of the most important of the 5 C's, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. With fancy colored diamonds it what gives the color "Life and Dazzle".
The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light. A good cut gives a diamond brilliance (the brightness that seems to come from the very heart of the diamond) and scintillation and dispersion (the sparks of color that seem to leap out from the diamond's surface when the diamond is tilted back and forth).
Cut refers to how well the diamond has been designed and proportioned by the cutter. Shape refers to the general silhouette or outline of the diamond.
As you can see in the images below, when a diamond is well-cut, the light that enters through the table travels deep into the pavilion. Once light reaches the pavilion, it bounces back and forth on the mirror-like inside walls of the pavilion, multiplying in brightness and intensity before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer's eye.
However, when a diamond is poorly cut (either too shallow or too deep), the light that enters through the table reaches the pavilion facets at the wrong angle and fails to be intensified and reflected properly; it 'leaks' out from the sides or bottom of the diamond rather than reflecting back through the table to the eye. Less light reflected back to the eye means less brilliance.
Diamond Cut
There is no single measurement or proportion that automatically makes a diamond beautiful. Rather, a great cut depends on the carefully-planned interaction of many proportions to create a diamond's beauty and ability to handle light.
These are the main proportions that help to determine a diamond's cut:
Diameter: The length and width of the diamond as measured across the girdle. Primarily, the Diameter gives you an idea of the diamond's physical size, but it is also used as point of comparison to calculate the diamond's table percentage, total depth percentage, crown height, and pavilion depth.
Table: This is the large, flat facet at the very top of the diamond. Table size or table percentage describes how large the table is in comparison to the diameter of the entire diamond. For example, a 57% table is a table that is 57% as wide as the diamond's diameter.
Crown: The upper portion of a cut gemstone, above the girdle. The crown height describes how deep the crown is in comparison to the width of the diamond's diameter. The crown angle describes the angle at which the bezel facets intersect with the table plane. The angles and proportions of the crown create the effect known as dispersion.
Girdle: The narrow rim of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. It is the widest part of the stone. A good girdle should be thick enough to protect the diamond at its vulnerable edges. A girdle that is too thin will leave the diamond vulnerable and also make it difficult to set in jewelry; a girdle that is too thick will needlessly add extra mass and carat weight to the diamond without increasing the diamond's diameter in millimeters.
Pavilion: The lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. The pavilion depth describes how deep the pavilion is in comparison to the width of the diamond's diameter. The pavilion angle describes the angle at which the pavilion main facet plane intersects with the table plane. The angles and proportions of the pavilion help to create the effect known as brilliance.
Depth: The height of a gemstone, from the culet to the table. Total depth or depth percentage describes how deep the diamond is in comparison to the diameter of the entire diamond. The diamond should be deep enough to adequately absorb and reflect light. If the diamond is too shallow, the light will not be effectively reflected; if it is too deep, the diamond may not reflect the light properly and it will also "waste" carat weight in the bottom of the diamond where it cannot be seen instead of contributing that weight to the size or diameter of the diamond.
Culet: The tiny facet on the bottom of the pavilion. When it exists, this is usually the smallest facet on the diamond and it is intended to protect the pointy bottom of the diamond from becoming chipped or damaged. However, some diamonds do not have a culet at all and just end in a point at the bottom of the pavilion. Once a diamond is mounted, the pavilion is protected by the setting, so the presence or absence of a culet will not really affect the appearance or durability of most diamonds.
Renaissance Cut™ & 80's Cut™
We also feature two very distinct cuts that are not available anywhere else on the internet; The Patented Renaissance Cut™ which is an amazing combination of the Antique Cushion & the Asscher Cut and the Brilliant Round 80's Cut™ which has a fiery brilliant burst of light in a round shape.
