Diamond Advice > Cut
The 4Cs – Colour – Clarity – Cut – Carat Weight
Cut: Bringing Nature to life
Cut is the only diamond characteristic directly influenced by man – the other three are dictated by nature billions of years ago.
A rough uncut diamond looks just like a pebble, in fact most people would pass one without a second glance. The skill of the diamond cutter must never be underestimated; it is the Cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected and refracted from one facet to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone. If the Cut is too deep or too shallow light escapes as it spills out before it can be reflected with the loss of brilliance and beauty. The quality of the Cut is important in all shapes of diamonds, as it is the skill of the craftsman that unlocks the fiery beauty that lies within.
The shape of a diamond is a matter of personal taste, with the round brilliant cut the most popular of the shapes. Other shapes gaining popularity include the emerald cut, pear shape, marquise, princess cut, oval and heart shape. Below are some of the popular shapes of diamonds featured in ring and jewellery designs.
Cut: Bringing Nature to life
Cut is the only diamond characteristic directly influenced by man – the other three are dictated by nature billions of years ago.
A rough uncut diamond looks just like a pebble, in fact most people would pass one without a second glance. The skill of the diamond cutter must never be underestimated; it is the Cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected and refracted from one facet to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone. If the Cut is too deep or too shallow light escapes as it spills out before it can be reflected with the loss of brilliance and beauty. The quality of the Cut is important in all shapes of diamonds, as it is the skill of the craftsman that unlocks the fiery beauty that lies within.
The shape of a diamond is a matter of personal taste, with the round brilliant cut the most popular of the shapes. Other shapes gaining popularity include the emerald cut, pear shape, marquise, princess cut, oval and heart shape. Below are some of the popular shapes of diamonds featured in ring and jewellery designs.
Diamond Cut Table |
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The Emerald cut diamond is rectangular, with simple oblong facets on each side and across the corners. There are also square emerald cuts sometimes called Asher cut. |
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The round Brilliant is the most popular of all the polished diamond shapes. |
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The Oval is an adaptation of the round brilliant and appears larger than a round stone of the same carat weight. |
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The Marquise is the name given the diamond shape that is long and pointed at both ends. |
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The Heart shape is perhaps the most romantic of what are called the fancy cuts. |
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The Baguette cut is normally smaller rectangular with facets similar to the emerald cut. |
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The Pear shape is as the name suggests round at one end and pointed at the other. |
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The Princess cut is usually square in shape and multi faceted as the round brilliant. |