Diamond Cut
Have you seen these images and asked yourself, “What are
these images I’m looking at”? I get asked that question all of the time. I get
asked by people who either didn’t have the opportunity to read about the images
or just quickly saw them on a diamond for the first time. Well, the first image
(the white one) is what we call just a picture image of the diamond pattern. It
has no real meaning except that it shows the diamond's pattern. The second
image is the more important one. This one is called an ASET image. This is
essentially a light-scope image, and it may be seen in different forms.
Different colors. It was originally called a light scope then AGS the
certification company came up with their own version called the ASET. It
basically will tell a diamond's light return and
light leakage. The light return is the colors (ie. Red, black, green, blue) and
the light leakage is the white. This is further explained in our technology page.
For right now, we will talk about diamond cut. The history
of cut is fascinating. Before GIA’s cut grading system, no grading company put
down on paper an official cut grade of a diamond. Even to this day, GIA still
does not grade cuts on fancy-shaped diamonds but still for only rounds. The
approach on how they came up with their grading is well known and on their
website here
I want to note that since the GIA cut was released in 2005, we’ve
been studying it and video-taping the visuals of diamonds compared to the grade
and found that although not a perfect cut grade system, we’ve still been able
to find the top brilliant diamonds in the top 10% of GIA Excellent with the use
of technologies like the light scope or ASET images and visual video comparisons.
We have hundreds of videos on our YouTube channel demonstrating this, which I
encourage you to check out. We will also do an analysis and a personalized
video for you if you express interest in buying a diamond through us so reach
out to us for further information.
About
Diamond Cut
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond's cut as shape (round, emerald, pear), but a diamond's cut grade is really about how well a diamond's facets interact with light.
Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry, and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond.
The quality of cut is crucial to the diamond's final beauty and value. And of all the 4Cs, it is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze.
The GIA Cut Grading System for the standard round brilliant diamond evaluates seven components. The first three, brightness, fire, and scintillation, consider the diamond's overall face-up appearance. The remaining four, weight ratio, durability, polish, and symmetry, assess a diamond's design and craftsmanship.
Brightness
Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond.
Fire
The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow.
Scintillation
The sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond.
