It's almost funny if you think about it. There's an "
IDEAL CUT" for Diamonds, (Round Diamonds or
Brilliant Cut Diamonds) a Standard that most people already know about. It's not a secret, it's supposed to be
the best Cut of Diamond on the market.
So my question is: If there is an Ideal Cut, a Cut that is head and shoulders above the rest, then why aren't ALL Diamonds Cut this way?
Wouldn't that be Ideal?
To have all Diamonds Cut perfectly so they maximize brilliance and sparkle? I mean really, if there truly is a Cut that excels in perfection and standards it just seems obvious to me that all Diamonds should be Cut like this.
Cut IS one of the 4C's that man can manage and determine! (The other being Carat Weight which also is a factor of Cut!)
So why don't we just Cut them all Ideal and be done with it? Why go through the entire process of mining, cleaning, selecting and cutting a Diamond if we're only going to Cut it badly? Why cut a Diamond that's crappy and shallow and will lose life and light? Doesn't make any sense does it?
Here's the Truth
The reason why some Diamonds are cut way too shallow and some way too deep all boils down to one word: PROFITS!
It's all about the money. Isn't that what drives any business? The road to most money is the road that most businesses take. And you really can't blame them for that can you? Even if the end result is to sacrifice a little Diamond quality!
Because when you think about it, it's not about taking a rough Diamond from the Earth and cutting one perfect Ideal Cut Diamond and making a bit of profit from it. Oh no! It's about maximizing profits and cutting three or four Diamonds from that same rock and making lots of profit, double, triple the money, even if those Diamonds are not so Ideal! It's all about the bottom line. Gotta make that money!
That's why the cut of a Diamond will always vary. The Diamond cutters scope out the rough rock to utilize as much of that rock as possible. They strive to get every dollar they can. And if the cuts are off a little, so be it.
Cut is NOT Shape
Most people won't notice, or sadly, won't know enough about it to care. Most people think "Cut" refers only to the shape of the Diamond like "Round" or "Square". Those not-so-Ideal Cuts end up selling and most customers just have no idea what they're buying. All the customer knows is that they saved a buck or two and the Diamond looks fine! Everyone is happy!
Why's it so hard to notice these Inferior Cuts of Diamonds? Because most Diamonds on the market are off 10-20% in their cuts anyway. They all vary from the Ideal Cut percentages. To the naked eye, unless you know what you're looking for, they all pretty much look the same. That's why Cut is one of the hardest of the 4 C's to get a grasp of.
Microscope Diamonds
If you look at Diamonds good enough, and check them out with a 10x Microscope, you will see things like: A larger looking Table. A higher Crown. A thicker Girdle. A deeper stone.
Diamonds that are too thin or too thick will lose light and sparkle. Diamonds that vary greatly will usually look dull and lifeless, which is sad, because the beauty of any Diamond is its Sparkle, Brilliance and Fire!
So what can you do to ensure that you get an Ideal Cut?
First off, buy a G.I.A. Certified Diamond! (Best Certificate on the market!) Look at the Cut category. Look for the Table and Depth percentages, these are your first indicators of how a Diamond is Cut. Check out the Ideal Cut Standards in the picture below!
The Table percentage should be between 53-57%, while the entire Depth percentage should be around 57.5-63%. These are important! If you can get within a couple of percentages of these numbers one way or the other, you'll end up with a wonderful looking Diamond.
Granted there are other things to look at than just Table and Depth... Also keep a watchful eye on the Girdle. You want your Girdle to be Medium. (Not too thin or not too thick, you don't want it to chip or break easily!) Read: What's a Diamond Girdle? Below is a chart that shows all the different facets on an Ideal Cut Diamond!
Expensive
Ideal Cut Diamonds will be more expensive. After all, you are getting a Diamond that's Cut as close to perfection as possible! (Remember, they sacrificed cutting other Diamonds just to make this one Diamond Ideal!)
Nothing's Perfect
Also keep in mind that you will never, ever get a Perfect Diamond!
Why? Because there is no such thing as a perfect Diamond. Even the Ideal Cut, which is supposed to be the best Cut of Diamond in the World is not perfect. The Ideal Cut is a "range" of percentages. (53-57% for the Table.)
See, even the Perfect Cut has some degree of variance! But, if you get close to these standards, you'll get the maximum amount of both white light (Brilliance) and colored light (Fire). And with this awesome balance your Diamond will shine like crazy!
Read more: Diamond Cut!
All in all, just think Ideal!
Read up on the Cut of the Diamond. Learn why some Diamonds of the same Clarity and Color are sold at much cheaper prices... They have crappy Cuts to them!
Keep your eyes open and learn! Because that's a Cut that you can do without!
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