If your Diamond's Table is Cut too big or too small, that also reflects on how the rest of the Diamond is Cut. The Table is a great indicator as to the Diamond's "
Make". (
How good the Cut is!)
A Diamond with a small Table tends to have more Fire in it. (Which is flashes of colored light) A larger Table will have more flashes of White light or Brilliance in it.
The Best Table to have
But the best Table to have, is an average sized Diamond Table. Middle of the road. An average Table will have a good combination of both Fire and Brilliance in it. If you look at a Diamond Certificate, they will all list the Diamond's Table Percentage on it. The Table Percentage is compared to the actual width of the entire Diamond. (which is equal to 100%) (See Diagram below)
A good Table Percentage to have is between 53-57%. (Which is Ideal Cut). Even though most Jewelers today will actually carry Diamonds with Table Sizes around 60% (A little bit larger. It makes the Diamond appear a little bigger and still lets in plenty of Fire and Brilliance! I also prefer a Table around 60%) A 60% Table will make your Diamond look big in size, and give you great sparkle (Technically called Scintillation) and brilliance at the same time.
Proportions
Let's look at how the rest of a Diamonds Proportions and Percentages of an Ideal Cut Diamond hold up. I give you, the Proper Proportions of an Ideal Cut Diamond:
If your Diamond is Cut too shallow or too thin (very low total depth percentage like 40-50%), then your Diamond will look glassy, transparent, and have little sparkle to it. Not to mention the fact that it'll also be very fragile and prone to chipping and breaking!
If your Diamond is too thick and bulky (like 70-75% total depth), then your Diamond will look dark and leak light out the bottom. Not good!
Best Advice
Follow the 60/60 rule of thumb! That's 60% Table, 60% Depth!
The Girdle
Now the Thickness of the Girdle is equally as important to understand. You don't want a Thick and Bulky Girdle either. You also don't want a thin and weak Girdle that will chip easily. And on top of that, you don't want a Girdle that's like a flat tire. (Alternating between thick and thin)
A Medium sized Girdle will be durable, help your Diamond achieve good proportions, and not detract from the beauty of your Diamond.
P.S. If you look at your Diamond from a side view, you may notice a faint line running directly across the middle of the Pavilion. That line is actually light coming into your Diamond, bouncing across the Pavilion, and exiting the stone in sparkles and brilliance! Very Cool!
The Culet
And then we have the Culet! The Culet is at the very bottom of your Diamond. The Point of the Pavilion. (Granted, your Pavilion may have a Culet, or it may not! Some Diamonds don't have one and come to a very sharp point!) No matter what, if you have a Culet, it should not be a large one. If the Culet is big, it will be highly visible and look like a bullet hole in the middle of your Diamond.
A small Culet will keep your Diamond from Chipping at that point. No Culet is fine as well, but it can be chipped if the Jeweler is not careful during setting.
So what's the best advice for looking at the Cut of the Diamond?... Read on...
