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Information about
a Diamond Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to two separate elements:
-
The way the rough diamond is cut to produce a polished diamond
-
The shape of the diamond, the different styles of cuts e.g.
Pear, Round, Marquise, Heart shaped etc.
Effects of a Good Diamond Cut
Diamonds are prized
for their brilliance, sparkle and lustre:
-
Brilliance or Fire - The amount of tiny flashes of light a diamond gives off
through the reflection and refraction of light - the intensity of
the light-reflecting power which maximizes the brilliance
-
Scintillation or Sparkle - A measure of the light reflected out by a
diamond as it is viewed from different angles which occurs when light bounces among the
diamond facets creating a
really sparkling display
-
Lustre / luster - The brightness
of an object that shines with reflected light
-
Dispersion
- Dispersion refers to the prism of light
refracted from within a cut and polished diamond and relates to the
sparkling colors that are emitted from the stone as it is viewed
from different angles
These
elements may be visible even in their rough state; but in order to
enhance these advantages the diamonds must be cut and polished. A
skilful diamond cutter, or lapidary, is able to bring out all the
brilliance of a diamond, whilst concealing its imperfections, by
choosing the most appropriate cuts and the most appropriate
proportions and symmetry.
Information about
Proportion
The most important
proportion is the ratio between the depth of the stone and its diameter,
ideally this should be about 58%. Another proportion to be taken into
account is the ratio between the height of the crown and the pavilion.
Cuts with good proportions reflect more light and appear to look better
than other diamonds of higher clarity and appears to look 2 or 3 grades
higher than the actual color. The quality is also dependent upon the
cutting skill on the diamond facets.
Facets produce the sparkle
Facets are the smooth surface areas of a
stone which have been
cut, polished and positioned at different angles which allow light to
enter and reflect back from the diamond. The depth and width and the
uniformity of the facets control the brilliance and the durability of diamonds. The quality of the facets are the major
determining factor in enhancing the diamond's ability to sparkle or
reflect light and play a large part in the resulting brilliance of the
stone.
Diamond Facets
A Good Diamond Cut
What constitutes
good diamond Cut? Good cuts are effected by several different
factors:
-
Proportion affects the cut - The diamond's width and depth have a large impact on
the
brilliance of the stone
-
Cuts which are too shallow appear lifeless as the light travelling through
the stone is lost out of the bottom of the diamond
-
Cuts which are too deep will appear lifeless as the light
travelling through the stone is lost out of the sides of the stone
-
Diamond Symmetry affects the cut and refers to the alignment of the facets of a diamond
(Diamond symmetry)
should be cut to achieve the best play of light
-
Diamond Polish affects the cut - the surface of the facets should be smoothly
polished to enable light to pass through them
-
A
misaligned, broken, chipped or missing culet is a common problem
-
Misaligned or extra facets are also a common problem
Fancy Diamond Cuts
Fancy cut diamonds
include the Emerald, Marquise, Heart, Oval, Pear and Princess cuts
and shapes.
A Fancy
Cut is a way of cutting a diamond to maximize the carat weight. A
rough diamond which might only yield a half carat in a Brilliant Cut
might yield another 50% if cut into one of the above shapes. A Fancy Cut
diamond allows the cutter to use the best attributes of a rough diamond
whilst
eliminate inclusions and blemishes.
Information
about the Shapes
Click one of the following
links for facts and information about the art of diamond cutting and the following diamond
shapes and cuts:
The 4C's to
Diamonds
Diamond Cut is
one of the 4 C s of diamond grading (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat
Weight). For detailed facts and
information about the 4 C's please click one of the following
links:
The 4 C's to
Diamonds
Diamond Clarity
Diamond Color
Carat Weight
Diamonds - Precious -
Proportion - Stone -
Guide - Cut - Color - Facts - Information -Info - Jewelry - Jewellery -
Properties -
Cut - Quality - Settings - Shapes - Sizes - Structure - Jewel - Cut - Gem - Gemstone
Diamond Cut
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