Diamond Cuts
The Art and Science of Perfecting Diamonds
When diamonds emerge from the earth, they are rough, uneven crystals. It takes the skilled eyes and hands of an experienced diamond cutter to create a gem.
The diamond cutter first examines the diamond crystal very carefully. Based on the size and quality of the crystal, the shape and the cut are chosen. This must be done in a manner that preserves the size as much as possible. Because diamonds are unique gifts of nature, the type of cut must be perfectly matched to each stone.
When the stone is cut, it is done to maximize three factors:
- Brilliance: the stone’s ability to reflect light within the stone, and also externally to the viewer;
- Fire: the ability of the stone to split white light into many colours, and then reflect them within the stone and back to the viewer;
- Scintillation: the amount of sparkle and flash of light that can be seen when a diamond is moved.
It is important to remember that the cut is not the same thing as the shape of the diamond. A shape is a basic outline of the stone: for example, round, square, or heart. The cut takes into account the number of facets, the proportion of the top of the stone to the bottom, etc. The goal is to optimize the behavior of light within the stone.
Experts agree that the best cut for maximum brilliance, fire, and scintillation is the Ideal cut, as applied to the round shape. The ideal cut was first theorized by Marcel Tolkowski in 1919, and first cut onto a stone by his cousin Lazare Kaplan. With the ideal cut, the facets in the sides and bottom of the diamond all reflect light back through the top towards the viewer for maximum impact.
Learn more about Diamond Shapes