DIAMOND CUT

Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but what diamond cut actually does mean how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond.

Achieving the best cut for a diamond reflects in the stone’s final beauty and value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze. To determine the cut grade of the standard round brilliant diamond – the shape that dominates the majority of diamond jewelry – GIA calculates the proportions of those facets that influence the diamond’s face-up appearance. These proportions allow GIA to evaluate what the best cut for a diamond is, by studying how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects, such as:

Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond

Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow

Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

GIA’s diamond cut grade also takes into account the design and craftsmanship of the diamond, including its weight relative to its diameter, its girdle thickness (which affects its durability), the symmetry of its facet arrangement, and the quality of polish on those facets.

How does pavilion depth affect a diamond’s cut?

The distance from the bottom of the girdle to the culet is the pavilion depth. A pavilion depth that’s too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape from the side of the stone or leak out of the bottom. A well-cut diamond will direct more light through the crown.

The GIA Diamond Cut Scale for standard round brilliant diamonds in the D-to-Z diamond color range contains 5 grades ranging from Excellent to Poor and is the definitive scale for classifying diamond cuts.

Carli S.
My “soon-to-be-“ sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and niece planned a day for us to explore engagement rings in November 2018. They scheduled an appointment with David Stern Jewelers for us to learn... about and try on rings. What an experience! David is extremely knowledgeable. He asked probing questions about my interests and presented us with rings that both aligned and challenged my initial desires. At the end of the visit, we had absorbed so much information, taken pictures of exciting ring styles, and never felt pressure to purchase. With that, I’ve encouraged my boyfriend to give David a visit!read more
Timothy H.
After seeing the reviews and reputation that David had online I decided to stop in for my engagement ring shopping. My girlfriend at the time was interested in yellow sapphires so I mentioned to him... that that's what I was looking for and gave him a price range. He had a few in the store but said that he had worked with other jewelers in town for twenty odd years, and thought they'd have some great ones for the ring. I think that same day he had spoken to a friend of his in the business and sent me an HD video of a beautiful yellow sapphire that they had. I was able to send that around to people helping me with the decision, and everyone loved the stone. He got it from his friend the next day and I was able to see it in the store and purchase it. We had a bit of a special request of the band being gold, and he designed a beautiful ring accommodating that, and even had my fiance's sister on the phone with us to talk through the design. It's worth noting that he only had a few weeks to make the ring itself since I wanted to propose on a specific date, and he got it done well early. The ring turned out to be a knockout and everyone loves it. It's worth noting that David went above and beyond to cut costs where he could, and has been prepared to make a few tweaks for my fiance when she's finally willing to part with it for a few weeks. I'll be doing business with David again for sure.read more
Elizabeth C.
I brought several pieces to David and he took a lot of time with each piece to give me a good price. He had me follow him everywhere with the jewelry so that I would see everything he was doing.... I’m very happy with the outcome. He also fixed a pair of earrings for me that didn’t sit well on my ears and now look great!read more