Cut
Why is CUT the most important characteristic? When a diamond comes out of the ground, it looks like a translucent pebble. Only when the diamond has been skillfully cut does it capture and release light brilliantly. Cut is the only one of the 4 C's completely under man's control and the most important because it determines the amount of brilliance, sparkle and fire - the properties which make a diamond special.
What is an "ideal cut" diamond?
In order to achieve the maximum play of light, a diamond must have an ideal cut. The ideal cut is a mathematical formula for cutting diamonds to precise angles and proportions to gain the optimum reflection and refraction of light. You may choose to economize on color, clarity or size, but to ensure that you have the most brilliant diamond possible, you should never compromise on cut.
What makes the "ideal cut" so important?
When a diamond is ideally cut, light rays from all sides are bent towards the center of the stone and are reflected back though the top in a blaze of light. If a diamond isn't ideally cut, light will "leak out" through the side or bottom of the stone causing a loss of brilliance. The ideal cut guarantees you a spectacular balance of brilliance, sparkle and fire.
Cut also refers to shape—round, square, pear, or heart for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines. Ask a jeweler to find out more about these guidelines.
Non-round shapes, also known as “fancy shapes,” will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut.
Which Grade of Cut Should I Buy?
Selecting the grade of cut is really a matter of preference. To make the best selection, you need to understand the various grades. Please note that the descriptions below are general guidelines.
Ideal Cut
This cut is intended to maximize brilliance, and the typically smaller table sizes of these diamonds have the added benefit of creating a great deal of dispersion or 'fire' as well. Ideal quality diamonds are truly for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy. This category applies only to round diamonds.
Premium
In the case of round diamonds, many Premium Cut diamonds have cuts that are the equal of any Ideal Cut diamond, though they often can be purchased at slightly lower prices than AGS Ideal Cuts. They are intended to provide maximum brilliance and fire. Like the Ideal Cut, these are also for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy.
Very Good
These diamonds reflect most of the light that enters them, creating a good deal of brilliance. With these diamonds, the cutters have chosen to stray slightly from the preferred diamond proportions in order to create a larger diamond. The result is that these diamonds fall slightly outside of some customers' preferences in terms of, for example, table size or girdle width, though, in many cases many of the parameters of diamonds in this range will overlap with certain parameters of diamonds in the Ideal or Premium ranges. Generally, the price of these diamonds in slightly below that of Premium cuts.
Good
Diamonds that reflect much of the light that enters them. Their proportions fall outside of the preferred range because the cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Premium quality diamond. Diamonds in this range offer an excellent cost-savings to customers who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality or beauty.
Fair & Poor
A diamond graded as fair or poor reflects only a small proportion of the light that enters it. Typically these diamonds have been cut to maximize the carat weight over most other considerations.
