Diamond Cut

How to Choose Diamond Cut

There are many different diamond cuts to choose from. Diamond cut essentially refers to the shape that the diamond is cut into – unless you are in the diamond or jewelry business. Diamond cut shape has a great impact on how much the diamond sparkles.

Popular diamond cuts

The most popular cuts are heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, round, trillion, and emerald cuts. The shape has an impact on how much the diamond sparkles, but the actual cutting itself – when the diamond cutter actually cuts the diamond into a particular shape – also matters a great deal. If the diamond is poorly cut, it will lose its sparkle. So the diamond cut is very important in jewelry.

Diamond cut problems

However, in the diamond industry, the diamond cut doesn’t refer to its shape at all. Instead, diamond cut is a reference to the stone’s depth, width, brilliance, durability, clarity, and other aspects of the diamond. Common cutting problems include a missing or off center culet, misalignment, a diamond that is too thick or too thin, cracks, or broken culets.

When shopping for a diamond, you should of course choose the diamond cut shape that you like the best. But then, look at several different diamonds of that shape to find the one with the best cut. Choose the diamond cut that sparkles the most, in all types of lighting.