You may hear the term 'diamond cut' a lot and you may be one of the
many people who thinks that it is referring to the shape of the
diamond. That's not it though. Gemologists actually
use the term 'cut' to refer to the diamond's proportions.
This would include the depth and width of the stone, as well
as the uniformity of the facets. These are basically the
characteristics that determine the diamond's durability, brilliance and
the other features that determine its value.
The diamond's beauty greatly depends on its cut. How the
stone would interact with light play an important role on its eventual
sparkle and brilliance, all the things we look for in a diamond.
Even a diamond with the most impressive color and clarity
would lose its inherent value if not cut the right way. It's
simply essential that you know the different facts about diamond cuts
before you go out purchasing one. They come in pricey and you
have to make sure you get the most value out of your hard-earned money.
Characteristics of a Good Diamond Cut
So what are the different facts about diamond cuts that you ought to
know? You can get started by studying the diamond's width and
depth. For this, you will have to look at the diamond's
proportions. The diamond's brilliance depends much on the
right proportions of its width and depth. It's all about the
how it reflects the white light we see when looking at a diamond.
Diamond Cuts that you should avoid
The Shallow Cut. The light that travels through a diamond
with a shallow cut gets lost at the bottom of the stone and fails to
reflect back out. This results to a lack of light play.
Consequently, diamonds with a shallow cut appear lifeless.
It loses its brilliance and beauty.
Cut too Deep. Yet another diamond cut you should avoid is one
that is 'cut too seep'. This type of cut results to light
traveling into the stone only to disappear out at the sides.
This darkens portions, if not all parts of the diamond.
What you should look for
You should look for a diamond with the ideal cut. You will
recognize it by how it is especially brilliant. With an ideal
cut, the light would pass through the diamond and bounce out at the top
of the diamond. This is the best light reflection you can get
from a diamond as it brings brilliance into view.
Diamond Symmetry
Among the different facts about diamond cuts that you need to be
familiar with is the diamond symmetry. Symmetry is determined
by the alignment of the diamond's facets. You will have to
look at the stone's plat and polished surfaces. Yet again,
it's all about the right play of light. You need facets that
will give you the best reflection of light.
You may have noticed how a diamond flashes as you move it in the
direction of the light. This effect is called scintillation
and occurs when light reflects or bounces off the facets.
Misaligned facets will not give you the light reflection you
need to achieve a maximized brilliance. You then fail to
capture the real beauty of a diamond.
Do make sure that you are familiar with the different facts about
diamond cuts so you can make sure that you are making the most value
out of this rare purchase.