in choosing a diamond.
Diamonds are sought after because they are rare
and are the only gemstone that has the extraordinary
combination of hardness, fire, scintillation and
brilliance that makes them uniquely beautiful.
When shopping for a diamond, you should
naturally consider the shape that you like the
best. But why not look at several different
diamonds of that shape to find the one with
the best cut ? Find the one that sparkles the most,
in all types of lighting.
A diamond's cut or shape is essential
to the gem's fire or sparkle. If a diamond
is cut too shallow, the stone will appear
dark or dull looking. If the cut is too deep,
the diamond will appear to have a dark center,
as light is reflected off too sharp an angle
inside the diamond.
There are a great variety of cuts of diamonds
to select from. The cut essentially refers to
the shape that the diamond is cut into –
unless you are in the diamond or jewelry
business, but this shape has a great impact
on the much the diamond sparkles.
Here are the most popular cuts : heart, marquise,
oval, pear, princess, round, trillion and
emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on
how much the diamond sparkles, but the
actual cutting itself – when the diamond
cutter actually cuts the diamond into a
particular shape – also matters a great
deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose
its sparkle.
You should know that in the diamond industry,
the cut of a diamond doesn't refer to its shape.
Instead, this is a reference to the stone's
depth, width, brilliance, durability, clarity,
and other aspects of the diamond. Common
cutting problems include a missing or off
center culet, misalignment, a diamond that
is too thick or too thin, cracks, or broken
culets.
Advanced cutting technology is continually producing
innovative new diamond shapes. At the end, it's all a matter
of appreciation for the cutter's artistry and personal taste.