Diamond Guide

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Cut influences brilliance

Long before you take a look at an American Diamond, a skilled cutter has spent days inspecting that same stone, determining how light is going to best travel through it. Discover what goes into crafting a diamond's cut, and you'll never look at a diamond the same way again.


The cut of a diamond requires human interaction to saw, cleave, grind and polish the raw stone to bring out its inherent beauty. It takes an experienced eye and a steady hand to patiently remove undesired portions of an in-the-rough diamond to allow light to interact with the stone and cause the stunning visual effect that a well-cut diamond produces.

When a diamond has an ideal or fine cut, light enters it, reflects from one side to the other, and then reflects back out of the diamond to the observer's eye. In a poorly cut diamond, the light entering the diamond 'leaks' out from its sides or bottom, decreasing its brilliance.

The angles and relative measurements of a polished stone that determine the optical properties governing its interaction with light.

A grading term for the exactness of shape and placement of facets. Variations in symmetry include off-center culets and tables, poor facet alignment, misshapen facets, out-of-round girdles, and wavy girdles.