Here’s Why Diamond Cut is Arguably the Most Important of the 4Cs
Have you heard of the 4Cs of diamond buying?
If not, here’s a quick refresher: The 4Cs are Color, Clarity, Carat and Cut.
Every C is important when it comes to buying diamonds, but we usually recommend that customers focus on one above the rest. Cut is arguably the most important C.
It’s also the most misunderstood…
Many people mistakenly believe that cut refers to the shape of the stone. In reality, it represents the symmetry, proportions and polish.
The way a stone is cut will greatly impact the fire and brilliance that it produces as light hits each of the facets.
How is a Diamond Cut?
If you’re one who obsesses over carat weight, you’re probably thinking we’ve lost our minds. How could cut be the most important C? To that, we say…
Look at a rough diamond.
It is beautiful in its own right, but it does not remotely resemble most diamonds you’ll see in jewelry. Before it has been cut and polished, a diamond kind of looks like a cloudy piece of glass.
This is one reason why we usually value cut over the other Cs, but It’s not the only reason.
To get a better understanding of why cut is so important, let’s look at the four steps of the diamond cutting process.
- Cleaving
The diamond is first cleaved, or split, along its tetrahedral plane . This is the middle of the diamond and where it is generally the weakest.
- Sawing
This is done with a special blade or a laser. Diamonds that do not have a weak
point will need to be sawed instead of cleaved. During this step, the cutter will determine the table and the girdle of the diamond.
- Bruiting/Cutting
The process of cutting a diamond is called cutting when done by a machine. It’s called bruiting when it’s done by hand. This is where the diamond’s shape and facets are created.
- Polishing
This last step is the finishing touch that gives the diamond its famous sparkle
and shine. A polishing wheel is coated with an abrasive substance that polishes it to perfection.
Why is Cut So Important?
The way a diamond is cut greatly impacts the way light is reflected on the facets and through the stone. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
website:
GIA calculates the proportions of those facets that influence the diamond’s face-up appearance. These proportions allow GIA to evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects such as:
- Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
- Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
- Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond
GIA’s diamond cut grade also takes into account the design and craftsmanship of the diamond, including its weight relative to its diameter, its girdle thickness (which affects its durability), the symmetry of its facet arrangement, and the quality of polish on those facets.
So, it all comes down to sparkle. A well-cut diamond is going to produce an exceptional amount of brilliance. Of course, color and clarity are essential
as well. However, an excellent cut diamond can hide some imperfections
– just as a colorless diamond with great clarity can look less-than-stellar if it is poorly cut.
What is an Ideal Cut?
If you have been diamond shopping, you may have heard a stone referred to as an Ideal Cut. This term used to be reserved for the round cut diamonds, since it is the shape that produces the most brilliance, but it has also been used to describe other shapes as well.
Ideal means the diamond’s proportions have been deemed the best for its particular shape.
The table, girdle, pavilion and culet must all be within certain, narrow percentages to be considered an Ideal Cut stone.
Now you understand our reasons for holding a diamond’s cut to such high esteem. What do you look for when shopping for diamonds?
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