What is a Diamond Cut?
A lot of people, most especially women, are truly thrilled about diamonds, and therefore the saying “diamond is a girl’s best friend”. Nevertheless, what many do not know is the fact that many diamond cuts are available for people to choose from, and this article will give a brief background on these various cuts.
Round-Cut
The first of all the diamond cuts that people could choose from are the round diamonds – aside from being the most basic cut there is in the market, round diamonds are also considered as the most famous. A lot of people still choose to pick round diamonds when talking about engagement rings.
Radiant-Cut
For this particular cut, people should expect a rectangular shape. For some unexplainable reason, diamonds with a rectangular shape have a really elegant look and feel to it; in addition to this, people will also be unable to resist looking at a rectangular diamond with at least 70 facets.
Princess-Cut
In addition to the mentioned above, a lot of people are also unaware that they often see princess cut diamonds in jewelry stores. Next to the round diamonds, this has got to be the next in the list of the most popular ones; even though this diamond has a regular square shape, people are truly fascinated because out of all the available diamond cuts, this one highlights a unique and modified cut that is not present on other diamond cuts.
Oval-Cut
The next is the oval shape diamond; people also patronize this cut because of the simple fact that its symmetry is very relaxing to look at. In addition to this, women with short fingers love to have this type of cut over the other diamond cuts because it can make the fingers of women look longer – and this is something that not all the other diamond cuts can do.
With all the mentioned diamond cuts that people could choose from, it would not be surprising to know that some people have a hard time determining which one of these is the one that they prefer considering that all of them are beautiful.
Marquise-Cut
Another diamond that is on the list of the most unique diamond cuts that are available in the market is the marquise diamond. Even though this is not as popular as the others, many are still intrigued by its elongated shape; to explain further about its shape and its pointed tips, this is supposed to depict the smile of Marquise de Pompadour. This stone among all the other diamond cuts are usually seen in a smaller version when used in different types of jewelry.
Pear-Cut
The pear cut is just like the marquis cut but with one end rounded and one end pointed. This diamond cut is adding an elongating and slimming to the ring finger. Also, it is considered as one of the classic diamond shapes. Furthermore, this type of diamond cut is very popular in necklaces and earrings which gives the impression of length.
Heart-Cut
Compared to the other cuts that have been mentioned above, the heart shape diamond can be considered as one of the favorites of a lot of women for the most obvious reason – it has the shape of a heart. Most of the diamonds for this cut are shaped to resemble a pear, but with only a slit at the top part. Also, a lot of people, especially women indeed feel that among all the available diamond cuts, this is the most romantic; the only problem with this cut is that it is not that easy to achieve.
Diamond 4Cs
What does the 4Cs of diamonds stand for?
The first ‘C’ is the carat weight of the diamond. One carat is about 200 milligrams so a diamond with less than one carat is usually the equivalent of one one-hundredth of a carat (2 mg, or 0.01 carat). Generally, the diamond’s price per carat increases directly proportional to the diamond’s carat weight. The larger the size of the diamond means the higher the cost. Hence, this factor should be adapted to the preferences and the budget.
Perhaps, the cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4Cs and can improve the overall quality, value, and beauty of that diamond. There will be a less sparkle if the diamond has a poor cut and might not show the full actual visual size to the weight ratio too. This is frequently the case with the USA-based diamonds that are under the expensive “hearts & arrows” or the “ideal” diamond cut. These cuts are set to its proportions that allow the visual size to be impaired when there’s a comparison of a diamond cut to another set of proportions.
Color is another important factor of a diamond. The color ranges from the whitest “D” to the most yellow “Z.” The first 5 colors belong in the “white” range, while the next three belong to the “light-tinted” range and “tinted” range from L down.
Your personal preference and your budget will determine the diamond color of your choice. However, don’t go for the color below the “K” color range if you plan to get a diamond set in white metal. The “H” color range is the borderline for the eye that doesn’t perceive any diamond “tints.”
The fourth important factor is the clarity. It ranges from internally flawless (IF) through VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2 to I3. The ‘V’ stands for ‘very’, the ‘S’ for ‘slight’, and the ‘I’ for ‘inclusion.’
Diamonds from SI2 below will not be eye-clean. This means the flaws or imperfections will be seen with the naked eye. Once within the I2 to I3 imperfection the refractive qualities of the diamond will be impaired too. Imperfections can be colored as well as kept to white and can be situated on the side or in the center of the diamond. In this way, it will influence the value of the diamond.
Lastly, there is a 5th important factor when buying diamonds; that is the confidence that you have for yourself and your supplier. Best of luck in buying your diamond jewelry. May you find the one that best suits your personality and budget.