What Is the Meaning of Diamond Cut?

The cut of a diamond is one of the "four C's" of diamond quality (clarity, color, cut and weight) and refers to the proportions, symmetry and polish of a diamond.

Significance

The cut of a diamond directly impacts its brilliance or its ability to reflect light and sparkle; well-cut diamonds will return more light.

Misconceptions

Diamonds must be cut into faceted shapes before they can be used in jewelry, but the term "cut" is not used to refer to the shape of the stone (round brilliant, pear, oval); this can be confusing since shape names sometimes include the word "cut" (for example, round brilliant cut).

Benefits

A well-cut diamond will be more noticeable in well-lit conditions and will be less prone to damage due to poor shape.

Identification

Of the four C's, differences in cut are often the most difficult to see, while size and color differences are often very noticeable; it requires a trained gemologist using special equipment to properly evaluate a diamond's cut.

Grading

Diamond cut is usually graded on a scale of "poor" to "excellent" or "ideal"; the majority of diamonds lie somewhere in between these extremes and are given grades of "fair," "good" or "very good."