Diamond Cut
Of all the 4Cs, cut is the most important quality and should be given top priority. This is followed by carat, clarity and color. For cut grades, always go for GIA or AGS certifications as their grading is the most recognized and accepted in the jewelry market.
For GIA certification, the bottom line of the cut grade is Very Good. For AGS, the bottom line cut grade is Excellent. While the next higher grade for either certifications can present a noticeable difference, we highly advise you to please not go below the bottom line.
Let’s now learn how important is the diamond cut.
The beauty of a diamond comes mainly from its brilliance and fire which is the amount of light that is returned to the viewer’s eye.
The cut grade of the diamond determines this aspect of the diamond’s beauty. It is the skill of the experienced cutter which can transform a rough diamond stone to a starry diamond that unleashes such brilliance. In other words, diamonds with a poor cut grade would appear milky and lifeless.
A less expensive diamond of Excellent Cut grade will appear more attractive than a diamond of higher Color and Clarity with a poor, fair cut grade. This also can assure you that your diamond ring (the one with the excellent cut grade) would not go unnoticeable if you drop it on the floor. Basically, to find it, you would only need a torch light. Jokes aside, a best possible cut could mean losing diamond carat in the process, therefore usually a compromise has to be done between the weight (carat) and its beauty (cut).
The ideal cut enables the best use of light, and is valued more than a perfect color or clarity. Below, we give a simple example of the difference in the reflections of light that has entered into diamonds with contrasting cuts. Normally, a Grade 1 -3 cut is good enough and sadly it is rare to see an ideal cut in the diamonds on the market.
Shallow cut: light travels through a shallow cut, and leak out from the bottom. Diamonds appear dark, glassy and watery.
Deep cut: light travels through the deep cut, and escape out of the sides, diamonds appear dark.
Ideal cut: light travels through and rebounds back to the top of diamond.
