In Depth: The Cut of a Diamond 

By now, you probably know that the 4Cs of diamond buying—color, clarity, carat weight, and cut—comprise the basic framework for assessing a diamond’s quality. At Kwiat, we feel that diamond cut is the most important factor of the four Cs. Find out why below.

The 4Cs – Diamond Cut

What Does Cut Mean?

Cut refers to a diamond’s proportions, angles, and facets. The quality of a diamond’s cut is what maximizes its brilliance and overall beauty. Cut is the only aspect of a diamond determined by the skill and artistry of the craftsman’s hand rather than by nature. Even the largest and rarest of diamonds cannot achieve their peak beauty without a masterful cut.

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Why Cut Is Crucial

Diamonds are prisms that allow light to enter the stone and bounce off its facets, reflecting back to our eyes in a burst of sparkle.

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A well-cut diamond creates the maximum amount of light reflection and refraction which results in unparalleled brightness and brilliance. A high-quality diamond cut will also create patterns of light and dark within the stone, along with the colorful flashes referred to as “fire.”

When a diamond cut is low-quality, the light that enters the stone will not return to the eye. This results in a dark, dull, and lifeless diamond even when the stone is of otherwise exceptional color and clarity.

Every stone that Kwiat selects meets the unparalleled standards defined throughout our 100-plus years of business. We only accept the finest rough diamonds with high color and clarity grades before undertaking the cutting process and unlocking the brilliance within them.

We also adhere to the most stringent diamond cutting and finishing standards possible. Our expert craftspeople understand exactly how to reveal a rough diamond’s utmost beauty, making crucial decisions as each stone is cut and becomes a polished diamond.

Kwiat Tiara® Round Diamonds Are Triple Excellent

While there are many types of diamond cuts and shapes, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s foremost authority on precious gemstones, currently grades the cuts of round brilliant diamonds only. The best rating for a round diamond is an “Excellent” grade.

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However, we go beyond the GIA Excellent cut grade by offering our customers Triple Excellent Kwiat Tiara® diamonds. Triple Excellent is our industry’s term for a diamond that receives a GIA Excellent grade on three separate metrics of a diamond’s finish: cut, polish, and symmetry.

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Fancy Shape Diamond Cuts

All other shapes besides round brilliant diamonds are called fancy shapes. The GIA does not grade cut quality for any of the fancy shape diamonds, but a high-quality cut remains the most important factor for every shape. All fancy shape diamonds adhere to general designs and cut patterns used throughout the industry.

These fancy shapes include square and rectangular diamonds like the princess cut, radiant cut, emerald cut, and Asscher cut. Elliptical and round shapes, including oval diamonds, old European cuts, and rose cuts are also considered fancy shapes. Cushion cut and old mine cut diamonds bridge these two fancy shape groups by combining rectangular or square forms with soft or rounded corners.

Other fancy shapes include the marquise cut, pear shape, heart shape, and trillion cut diamond (a triangular or rounded triangle form sometimes called a trilliant or trillian cut diamond).

Because there is no single metric that captures the nuances of fancy shape diamond cutting, it’s crucial to have a trusted expert to guide you during the selection process.

For example, you might not know to be wary of pronounced bowties—dark areas that span the width of a diamond—in elongated curvilinear shapes such as ovals and pears. At Kwiat, we are able to cut an oval or pear shape diamond in such a way that eliminates these unattractive pronounced bowties.

All of Kwiat’s fancy shape diamonds are meticulously cut based on the ideal combination of angles, proportions, and facets for each specific shape. Our diamonds are cut to be the most brilliant and beautiful, without resorting to any compromises.

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