 |
|
|||
| Home | Diamond Search | Engagement Rings | Ladies Bands | Men's Bands | Earrings | Necklaces & Pendants | Bracelets | Education | |
Education for Cut - DiamondHouseAZ.comThe cut/proportions of a diamond is seen by the diamond industry as the most important characteristic of a diamond.
Cut refers to the angles and proportions a skilled craftsman creates in transforming a rough diamond into a
Diamond cutting requires great skill and training. The cutter must polish tiny surfaces known as facets onto the rough
from your diamond. If you take the depth in millimeters of your diamond and divide it by the width in millimters, you will get the depth %. The optimal depth percentage for a round brilliant cut diamond is between 57% and 64%. From one side of the girdle to the other side of the girdle is 100% of a diamond's diameter. The top portion of
a diamond, the table, covers a percentage of that 100%. The table does not cover the entire 100% because the crown angle takes up some of the percentage. The optimal table % is between 53% and 64%.
Cutting style is categorized into three basic types: step-cut, brilliant-cut and mixed-cut. The difference among these
three types is the facets of each style. Brilliant-cuts are scientifically found to reflect the most light. Step-cuts have rows of facets that resemble the steps of a staircase. The emerald and baguette are examples of this cutting style. Mixed-cuts have both step and brilliant-cut facets. One of the most popular types of mixed-cuts is the Princess Cut. The cut of a diamond can also refer to its shape and what shape you choose depends on your preference.
In the diamond industry, diamonds are typically broken down into two different shape categories: the Round Brilliant and Fancy Shapes. Please refer below to a brief description of some of the most popular shapes.  Round Brilliant Diamonds
The Round Brilliant cut is still the most sought after diamond. The modern
Round Brilliant consists of 58 facets (or 57 if the culet is excluded); 33 on the crown (the top half above the middle or girdle of the stone) and 25 on the pavillion (the lower half below the girdle). In recent decades, most girdles are faceted. Many girdles have 32, 64, 80, or 96 facets; these facets are not counted in the total. The depth percentage of a round brilliant diamond should range between 58 to 64 percent and the table percentage should range between 53 to 64 percent. The most desired percentages are the 60 percent, and perfectionists will look for depth of 59 through 62 percent and table of 56 through 58 percent.
 Marquise Cut Diamonds
For the Marquise cut diamond, a length-to-width ratio (the length of a
diamond divided by the width of a diamond) between 1.75:1 to 2:1 is most desired. However, as with any other fancy shape, the consumer's individual taste constitutes an element of the evaluation as well. The typical marquise diamond contains 56 facets.
 Princess Cut Diamonds The Princess cut diamond is a brilliant style shape with sharp, uncut
corners. It is typically cut square rather as a rectangle. Brilliant style refers to vertical direction crown and pavilion facets instead of step style horizontally facets. A princess Cut Diamond generally has 76 facets, giving it more brilliance and fire than the round brilliant. The Princess Cut diamond is the most popular fancy shape in the
 Radiant Cut Diamonds
The Radiant cut diamond is a straight-edged rectangular or square stone
with cut corners. The radiant cut diamond has 62-70 facets.
 Emerald Cut Diamonds An Emerald cut diamond shape is usually rectangular. The length-to-width
ratio of an Emerald Cut Diamond should be between 1.5:1 to 1.75:1.
 Pear Shaped Diamonds The Pear shaped brilliant diamond is based upon the traditional
configuration of the round brilliant diamond. More than other fancy shapes, length-to-width ratio is a matter of taste when it comes to pear shaped diamonds. Because pears may be used for engagement rings, an accent in a necklace, dangles in earrings, and integral parts of custom designs, a wide variety of shapes is considered desirable. The typical pear shaped diamond will contain 58 facets.
 Oval Cut Diamonds The Oval cut diamond is based upon the traditional configuration of the
round brilliant cut diamond and that's why its technical name is oval modified brilliant diamond. A length-to-width ratio of 1.5:1 is almost universally considered a pleasing shape for oval diamonds, with any variation beyond 1.4:1 or 1.6:1 beginning to be noticeable and become an aesthetic issue. However, as with all fancies, a certain degree of individual taste is always factored into the desirability of a particular diamond's shape. 56 facets are typical for oval brilliant diamonds.
 Heart Shaped Diamonds The Heart shape diamond is a Valentine's favorite. The width will usually
be 10% wider than the head-to-point length.
 Asscher cut Diamonds The Asscher cut is a modified square cut Emerald characterized by a
smaller table and larger step facet than the Emerald cut. It features dramatic, cut corners. It usually has a high crown and a deeper pavilion. Because of its high crown and small table, the Asscher cut has more light and fire than the Emerald cut.
 Cushion Cut Diamonds The Cushion cut was evolved from the 'Old Mine Cut' that was developed
before the turn of the century. A cushion cut is square to rectangular cut with rounded corners and 58 brilliant facets that resemble a pillow shape.
A diamond’s shape can affect its cost. For example, The Round Brilliant Cut is more expensive than any Fancy Shape. However, all Fancy Shapes should be of equal value given that the overall proportions and grading are of equal standards. Please see the example below:
However, this is not always the case. The number of diamonds, or lack thereof, of a given shape in the diamond market can increase or decrease its value. For example, some Fancy Shapes like Horseheads, Half Moons, Trapezoids, Shields, Kites, Bullets., etc. are more rare, and therefore, will be more expensive. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Policies | About Us | Publicity | Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
