How to cut diamonds? All about different types of diamond cut

What is diamond cut?

How to cut diamonds, and what is diamond cut? Knowing how diamonds are cut will help you make an informed choice when you make your next jewelry purchase. A diamond’s cut is sometimes known as its ‘make’, and is evaluated by examining the proportioning and finish of the diamond. These two factors contribute directly to the diamond’s fire and brilliance Fire refers to the colors that flash from within, while brilliance refers to the liveliness and sparkle of the diamond.

Diamonds are often cut to make them appear larger. And the more skilled the cutting, the more durable the diamond will be, as cutting faults can weaken the stone and make it susceptible to chipping.

How diamonds are cut

So how to cut diamonds well? Regardless of the shape chosen, a well cut stone will command a high premium. Diamond proportioning is very important, as it determines the aesthetic appeal of the stone. On a well-proportioned stone, the top portion (crown) generally appears to be one-third of the pavilion depth.

Ideal diamond cut

In the art of diamond cutting, the ‘ideal’ diamond cut refers to the cut that best exhibits the diamond’s personality. Again, the two main factors are fire and brilliance. In an ideally proportioned diamond, light is reflected from facet to facet and reflects out from the top, thus revealing maximum fire and brilliance.

But if the diamond is cut too deep, much of the light will be lost through the sides, thus causing the diamond to appeal dark in the center. And if the diamond is cut too shallow (sometimes to make it look larger), the reflection is dulled and the diamond loses brilliance. Thus the skilled metalsmith knows how to cut diamonds with exactly the right proportions.

The Tolkowsky cut has provided the basis for the ideal cut, and reflects a specific combination of angles that would create reflections that create the most fire and brilliance. Nonetheless, other variations have emerged, such as ‘EightStar’ and ‘Hearts on Fire’.

Different diamond cut: the New-Age Type of diamond cut

Brilliant cut diamond: Brilliant cut diamond rings

Brilliant cut diamond

Princess cut diamond: Princess cut diamond rings

Princess cut diamond

Trillion cut diamond: Trillion cut diamond rings

Sometimes spelled as: trilliant cut diamond, rillion cut diamond.
Trillion cut diamond

Asscher cut diamond: Asscher cut diamond rings

Commonly misspelled as: ascher cut diamond or assher cut diamond.
Asscher cut diamond

Cushion cut diamond: Cushion cut diamond ring

Cushion cut diamond

Radiant cut diamond: Radiant cut diamond ring

Radiant cut diamond

The Classic Cuts

Emerald cut diamond: Emerald cut diamond rings

Emerald cut diamond

Marquise cut diamond: Marquise cut diamond rings

Sometimes misspelled as: marquee cut diamond.
Marquise cut diamond

Heart cut diamond: Heart cut diamond ring

Heart cut diamond

Diamond oval cut: Oval cut diamond rings

Oval cut diamond

Pear cut diamond: Pear cut diamond rings

Antique cut diamond: Antique cut diamond rings

Often associated with Art Deco, the antique cut diamond reflects the fashion trends in the early 1900s. Then, diamonds with a color hue were more popular than the colorless diamonds of today. As the diamonds were cut by hand (and not with laser machines), antique cut diamonds generally look larger and softer.

Rose cut diamond: Rose cut diamond rings

Introduced in the 1500s, the rose cut diamond mimics the petals of a rose bud. The bottom is flat, while the crown is dome-shaped, meeting at a sharp convergence in the centre. Rose cut diamond earrings remain popular till today.

Specialty cuts

Tycoon cut diamond

Marked by a nine crown facet design, the tycoon cut diamond has a diamond-shaped table, making it seem as if there is a diamond within a diamond. An intricate design in the experiments relating to how to cut diamonds.

Calla cut diamond

The calla cut diamond mimics the look of the calla lily flower. It has more brilliance and a rounder middle than the marquise cut diamond, and more fire than the princess cut diamond. More on Calla cut diamonds

That's all for now - The cut diamond information here will be of great help to you the next time you visit a jewelry store!

Return from How to cut diamonds to How to buy Diamonds