Out of the four C’s, a diamond’s cut has the biggest impact on the diamond’s appearance. Cut refers to both the diamond’s shape such as Emerald, Princess or Cushion, as well as the proportions of the cut.
A diamond’s cut grading is a measurement of the diamond’s reflective qualities or light performance. When a diamond is cut to the proper proportions, light is returned resulting in its sparkle. When a diamond cut is too shallow or deep, light will simply escape from the bottom making the diamond lose its brilliance.
Diamond Cut Grades
Much like colour and clarity, a diamond’s cut is graded on a sliding scale. Diamonds with an excellent cut have the most sparkle and brilliance compared to those with a poor cut.
- Excellent cut – reflects nearly all light that enters a diamond. Exquisite and extremely rare cut.
- Very good cut – reflect almost as much light as excellent cut.
- Good cut – reflects most light that enters a diamond.
- Fair cut – is less brilliant than a good cut but is still considered a good quality.
- Poor cut – poorly cut diamonds are usually too deep, narrow or shallow, and lose most of the light that enters the diamond.
What Diamond Cut Should You Choose?
It is recommended that you pick the highest grade diamond cut you can afford. Greatly influencing the diamond’s appearance, cut should be one of the first things you look for when choosing your stone. Diamonds with a cut grade of good or very good offer a great combination of brilliance and value.
If you have any questions regarding diamond cut grades, light performance or brilliance please feel free to contact the experts at La Vivion today.