Diamond Cut

Cut

Achieving a perfect diamond cut is all about heightening its ability to transmit light, which is determined by the diamond's proportions, symmetry, and polish. This is what ultimately results in a diamond with maximal value and colorful, sparkling beauty. The more light that is reflected back to the eye of the observer, the more striking the diamond's appearance. Crucial to determining how well a diamond interacts with light is calculating its proportions – that is, the relationship between the shape, size, and angle of each of a diamond's facets (polished surfaces on any side) – which produces three primary visual effects:

1. Brilliance: all of the combined white light, from the interior to the surface, reflected from a diamond

2. Fire: the dispersion of the white light into rainbow-like colors

3. Scintillation: the sparkle a diamond produces when light and dark areas are reflected onto each other

The depth of the diamond, or the distance between the culet (top) and the table (bottom), mediates how light passes through. If a diamond is too shallow or too deep, the light refracts and escapes through the bottom where it is not visible to the observer. Therefore, attaining the best light performance requires crafting the ideal proportions for the light to be reflected back to the surface.