Unlocking the brilliance of a diamond begins with its cut. Widely regarded as the most critical of the four Cs, understanding a diamond's cut is key to appreciating its sparkle, fire, and scintillation.
While many diamonds are cut to maximize their weight from the original rough stone, this approach often sacrifices the stone's potential for brilliance and fire. The interplay of a diamond's proportions profoundly impacts how light interacts within and exits the stone.
Graded by a series of meticulous measurements, a diamond's cut is a delicate balance of depth percentage—reflecting the height versus width of the stone—and table percentage—illustrating the diameter of the top facet versus the stone's average width. These essential metrics are meticulously detailed on the GIA, IGI, or GCAL Diamond Grading Report accompanying each Adiamor loose diamond.
Shallow Cut Diamonds
Deep Cut Diamonds
GIA, IGI, and GCAL each have their own rigorous criteria for assessing a diamond's cut quality. GIA employs a grading scale ranging from Excellent to Poor, evaluating factors like symmetry, polish, and proportions. IGI similarly grades diamonds on a scale from Excellent to Poor, considering parameters such as symmetry, polish, and proportions. GCAL, renowned for its 8X certification, sets the bar even higher, with an additional level of scrutiny that encompasses brilliance, fire, and light performance beyond traditional grading scales.
Diamond Characteristics
Yet, the story doesn't end there. Beyond these fundamental measures lie nuanced factors like crown angle, girdle thickness, culet size, and the intricacies of craftsmanship, each contributing to the diamond's overall cut quality. While opinions on the ideal table size and depth may vary among experts, it's the harmonious interplay of these factors that truly defines a diamond's brilliance and beauty.
Polish & Symmetry
Although polish and symmetry are graded under 10x magnification they can both have an effect on the overall appearance of a diamond. Polish refers to the quality of the diamond's surface and includes such features as nicks, polish lines and abrasions. Symmetry refers to the exactitude of the shape and alignment of the facets.
Off-center Culet
Misshapen Facets
Off-center Table
The polish and symmetry grades are listed on each diamond's detail page and within their accompanying GIA or AGSL diamond grading report.
GIA grades polish and symmetry as: Excellent (EX), Very Good (VG), Good (G)
AGSL grades polish and symmetry as: Ideal (ID), Excellent (EX), Very Good (VG), Good (G)
Adiamor does not carry diamonds with polish and symmetry grades of: Fair (F), Poor (P)