Fancy Cut Diamonds
Other fancy cut diamonds are marquise, pear, oval, heart, emerald, princess,
radiant, etc.
Round brilliant cut is more
symmetrical and easier to formulate proportionality and find optimum balance between brilliance and dispersion. But for other
cuts the following parameters are generally kept in mind:
The fancy cut diamond should
be symmetrical in the sense of both halves. The profile and top view should be carefully observed for symmetry of the two
halves and both should have minimum possible difference. To save on weight, diamonds are sometimes deliberately cut with mismatched
halves.
The fancy shaped diamond
should be exhibit brilliance and should reflect good amount of light. There should be very little light reflection through
the pavilion area of the diamond. If one finds both these qualities in the diamond, then it can be said to be well cut.
Pointed cuts, such as marquises,
pears, and hearts, should have enough thickness at the end points to withstand normal wear and tear. A too shallow cut can
reduce the thickness and make the gem vulnerable enough to be chipped off.
The cutting techniques for
colored stones determine their color intensity. For example, Ceylon Sapphires have usually a pale color, are generally cut
with deeper pavilion than the darker Siam Sapphires.
Clarity is given importance
in colored diamonds, which includes even color throughout the gem. In order to achieve this, very precise cutting angles and
proportions are calculated for each facet. So there is a significant difference in cutting techniques for colorless and colored
diamonds.
For colorless diamonds, the
preferred cut type is round brilliant as compared to fancy cuts as they are costlier than colorless fancy cut diamonds. Cutting
a round diamond includes 10% more loss in weight than what is lost while cutting fancy cuts. For colored diamonds, the most
important parameters are beauty and sparkle, so the cut type depends on what can best amplify these two. That is why most
color diamonds are fancy cut, with no impact on their price.
Along with intensification
of color, the fancy cuts also offer more variety. The longer it takes the light to pass through a gemstone, more the absorption
of light will occur, and the gem will appear darker. The diamond cutter’s aim is to reach a balance between the intensity
and brilliance. The best known cuts for colored diamonds are Gabrielle (A "triple brilliant cut" with 105 facets developed
by Gaby (Gabi) Tolkowsky in about 1997), Lucère and Korloff.
Popular Shapes of Diamonds
The Popularity of diamond cuts is heavily influenced by fashion. The Baguette
cut which enhanced a diamond’s luster and fire, was very much in demand during the Art Deco period. The Princess cut
which enhances a diamond’s fire more than what it does to its luster and is also popular among the diamond cutters,
as it leads to minimum wastage of the original uncut diamond crystal. The development of newer cuts has come up by modification
of existing cuts. Some of these include extra facets and are attempted for brand differentiation by diamond sellers rather
than an actual improvement to the art of diamond cutting.
Identifying a Well Cut
Diamond
The grading for a diamond cut ranges from Well
Cut, Very Good, Excellent & Ideal which helps selecting the right diamond. Very few diamonds fall under Ideal Cut and
the number of diamonds within a cut range increases when moving from Ideal to Well Cut. The grading is done as per the lowest
assigned grade. For example, if “table" is graded Excellent Cut and if “depth" falls under Very Good Cut range,
the overall grade considering only Table and Depth would be Very Good.
Each diamond shape is unique therefore
the proportions of different facets also tend to be different which lead to best quality of cut. Every diamond shape has pre-calculated
proportions of all the facets which lead to maximum brilliance, fire and beauty.
Girdle:
The girdle is the outer edge of a diamond and usually has a frosted appearance
(does not exhibit brilliance). But many diamonds are finished with a fully polished or even a faceted girdle though this does
not affect the value of a diamond and is more of a diamond cutter's preference. The girdle is rated in terms of thickness
ranging from Extremely Thin, Very Thin, Thin, Medium, Slightly Thick, Thick, Very Thick, or Extremely Thick. It is always
preferred to avoid the extremes of the range when purchasing a diamond.
Culet:
The culet is the bottom point of the diamond and generally has a very small
facet. The culet is generally graded as None or Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, Slightly Large, Large, Very Large, and
Extremely Large. “Small" is more desirable.
Polish:
The surface roughness of a diamond is removed by polishing and the gem is
provided a smooth plain surface on all facets to maximize reflection and refraction of light. Diamonds are ground and polished,
and not chipped until they reach their final form. Each facet is carefully fashioned by a professional diamond cutter to bring
about a shining surface free from polishing imperfections. The polish of a diamond is generally defined as Poor, Fair, Good,
Very Good, or Excellent. A grade of Good or above should always be preferred.
Symmetry:
Symmetry refers to the alignment and positioning of the facets, or flat surfaces
in correct angles and proportions. Each facet is carefully positioned by the diamond cutter in proper proportion and relationship
to the other facets. The alignment of each facet is sharp and precise. Improperly joined facet junctions can make a diamond
appear uneven and asymmetric. The symmetry of a diamond is generally defined as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, or Excellent.
When purchasing a diamond, a symmetry grade of Good or above should be selected.
Fluorescence:
It refers to the diamond's ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet light. When
exposed to UV light, many diamonds tend to generally give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration, though other shades of
color have also been observed. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined according to its intensity ranging from None, Faint,
Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Diamond fluorescence is not an issue unless the intensity becomes Strong or Very Strong. In
the color range D, E, and F, Strong fluorescence is less desirable. However, in color range of J and below, Strong fluorescence
is considered desirable.
Back to 4 Cs of Diamond...
