A lot of people with no previous knowledge about the 4Cs confuse a diamond’s shape with its cut. It is a common mistake and, whatever the diamond’s final shape will be, it must be cut, so it is logical to confuse cut with shape.
The concept of diamond cut has to do with the symmetry of its facets (how well they are aligned to reflect light) and their polish after the cutting process. Something that makes diamonds special is their capacity to reflect light in three different ways by brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation.
These three properties of a diamond can change the way a diamond looks depending on how well they are maximized. To maximize a diamond’s light performance, a diamond cutter must carefully measure the appropriate angles of the facets. If a diamond is not cut properly, it will not sparkle the way it could.
A round brilliant diamond (57 to 58 facets depending on whether it has a cullet or not) is shaped that way to maximize its light performance. The white light reflected from the inside and outside of a diamond is its brilliance, the fire or rainbow colors that are reflected from the crown facets is its dispersion, and the sparkle the facets give off as one tilts the diamond from one side to another is known as scintillation.
There is much more to know about what makes a diamond sparkle the way it does; however, we are going to stick to the basics in order to buy intelligently and get the best diamond we can. Most diamonds come with a certificate and it is easy to identify how well a diamond is cut based on the characteristics written on it. A diamond’s cut can be graded as excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor.
Excellent
These diamonds are cut close to perfect. Their light performance will be optimal, and it will show even indoors. This grade is for people who want excellence and want their diamond to speak to everyone. As a bonus, I will let you know that two excellent-graded diamonds with the exact 4Cs can be priced differently based on minuscule cut differences. There is a facet ratio that is ideal depending on the cutter, and the closer it gets to that ratio the higher the price, even if both share the same cutting grade.
Very good
Diamonds in this grade tend to have a few dark areas, especially around the pavilion (lower part of the diamond). It is very hard to notice the difference in sparkle and it is a good choice regardless of the small differences compared to an excellent cut diamond. Most diamonds I have come across fall in this category.
Good
Diamonds in this grade tend to have darker pavilion facets. This means that whenever you tilt the diamond, the sparkle it gives off (scintillation) will not be as good as a very good or excellent cut diamond. Try and compare diamonds with different cut grades to see where they differ. Chances are that if you find a good cut diamond with lower-than-average scintillation but good brilliance and dispersion at the top, you can perfectly cover the darker areas with the proper setting.
Fair
Diamonds in this category tend to lose their charm in terms of sparkle. Either they are cut too deep or shallow. This will cause light leakage and prevent the diamond from displaying the three different ways of reflecting light properly. This will be noticeable even from the top of the diamond, which is the more noticeable part in most settings.
Poor
Diamonds in this category are, in my humble opinion, a beginner diamond cutter’s first attempts at cutting a diamond. They are shaped like regular diamonds to the untrained eye; however, they will lack the characteristics that makes them desirable, which is mainly the sparkle. You will notice dull and dark parts in the diamond because of light leakage, uneven angles and shallow or deep pavilions.
Conclusion
It is my recommendation to buy diamonds that are graded by reputable laboratories. Otherwise, only an expert will be able to tell you exactly how well a diamond is cut. It could be a D colored, Flawless diamond with the capacity to sparkle better than most other diamonds, but if its cut is below average, it will never achieve such feat.
The better the cut the higher the price, but the difference in looks makes the higher price worth it every time. A diamond is a piece that will hopefully accompany you the rest of your life. It is worth to invest in a very good to excellent cut diamond for that awe-inspiring look.
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