weight); the purer the diamond, the more valuable it is (clarity); the less color in a diamond, the more beautiful; and the more precise the cut of the diamond, the more brilliant it is. The combination of these individual factors makes up the diamond's overall quality and determines its beauty. CutOnce the diamonds are cut, they must be appraised to determine their characteristics and value. Cut and shape are often confused. Shape is only part of the cut. Shape is the form created by the stone when looking upon it from a top view. Common shapes for diamonds to be cut are round, pear, emerald, heart, oval, and marquise. These shapes are pictured in figure two. The shape of the diamond does not affect its value. Fig. 2. Common shapes for cut diamonds; rpt. in GIA.Most round diamonds are cut to have 58 facets. It is the work of a master cutter that allows a diamond to be cut in such a way as to permit the maximum amount of light to be reflected through a diamond. This creates a good brilliance or sparkle. (GIA) There are several cuts of diamonds. The one with the greatest value is the ideal cut. The ideal cut diamond describes a round brilliant diamond that has been cut to exact mathematically derived proportions. Its symmetry produces great luster and beauty. When a diamond is cut to the ideal proportions all of the light entering from the top of the gemstone in any direction is reflected back through the top and is dispersed into a display of colors. The other cuts are deep and shallow cuts. In the deep cut light is lost through the sides of the diamond because the diamond is too deep, the result is a dark spot in the center. A shallow cut loses light through the bottom of the gemstone because it is too flat; the result is a gray ring inside the table edge. (GIA) These diamond cuts are illustrated in figure three. Ideal Deep ShallowFig. 3. The different proportions of cut diamonds and t...
