What is Diamond Cut?

The Cut of a Perfect Diamond

If you need help, please contact us we are very happy to answer questions.

The cut of a diamond determines the fire and brilliance (or sparkle) of a diamond. All 1791 diamonds are of either Excellent or Very Good cut. These are the very top cut grades and it is what sets our diamonds apart from the those in the average jeweller.

If a diamond is cut too shallowly then light will escape through the base of the diamonds and if cut too deeply it will exit via the sides. However when cut just perfectly most of the light will be reflected out through the table at the person looking into the diamond. Diamonds with Excellent or Very Good cut grades are quite enchanting to look at because of how they sparkle.

Diamond Sparkle: Light entering and bouncing around a diamond

 

princess ring round solitaire and channel set

There are several other factors to consider when choosing a diamond.

They are:

Carat Size;

Colour;

Clarity.

Diamond Fire and Brilliance

The sparkle in diamonds can be referred to as its 'fire and brilliance'. The 'fire' refers to the rainbow effect that you get from the white light in a diamond. The 'brilliance' refers to the white light you see when looking at a diamond.

Diamonds have been cut and used in jewellery for hundreds of years. With the progress in technology, researchers have been able to optimise the 'fire and brilliance' that they can get from the shape of the round brilliant diamond. This progression has led to a dramatic change in the physical cut of the diamond.

The modern day round brilliant diamond owes its beautiful 'fire' and 'brilliance' to Tolkowsky. He mathematically calculated the angles and percentages of a round brilliant diamond to maximise its return of light, and labelled this the 'ideal cut'.

The Cut of your Diamond

We only stock 'Excellent' and 'Very Good' cut diamonds, as we believe that quality of cut is key to the performance of your diamond.

When your diamond is graded, the quality of its cut is one of its key features to be assessed. Beautifully scintillating, well cut diamonds will have been crafted by a skilled diamond cutter. Diamonds are graded from Excellent and Ideal, through to Poor.

You can learn more about diamond cut and quality below, or click through to our Design-Your-Own feature in order to see how the different diamond qualities and shapes work in relation to one another.

Excellent Cut Diamond

This cut is intended to maximise brilliance and is as near to ideal proportions as possible. The typically smaller table sizes of these diamonds have the added benefit of creating a great deal of dispersion - or 'fire' - as well.

Very Good Cut Diamond

These cuts deviate slightly from the Ideal cut proportions in order to create a larger diamond. However, diamonds in this category reflect the majority of the light that enters them, creating a good deal of brilliance.

Good Cut Diamond

Diamonds in this category will 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. Good cut diamonds offer an excellent cost-saving without sacrificing quality or beauty. We do not stock Good cut diamonds.

Fair & Poor Cut Diamonds

A diamond graded as Fair or Poor will be cut to a lower standard that reflects only a small proportion of the light that enters it, losing fire and brilliance. Typically these diamonds have been cut to maximise the carat weight over most other considerations. We do not stock diamonds graded as Fair or Poor.

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