Make it Shine!

There are 34 factors that affect the value of a diamond. Most of them are related to how meticulously the diamond was cut and polished. While color, clarity and carat weight are determined by nature, the cut of a diamond is entirely under the control of man. Most diamonds are cut and polished by the hands of a highly skilled craftsperson rather than by machine. All diamonds under the lights of a jewelry store showcase will be bright. But only a rare few will pick up even the faintest hint of light and sparkle on a dark night. Cut is what makes the difference.
The primary goals of a diamond cutter are; 1) to cut a diamond that will be as brilliant as possible. 2) to preserve as much of the weight of the rough diamond crystal. Most diamonds have 58 flat surfaces called facets. For a diamond to achieve maximum brilliance, each facet must be perfectly placed.

When fashioning a diamond from the rough crystal, the cutter must pay particular attention to symmetry. The more symmetrical the diamond, the more brilliant it will be. It is not uncommon for a round brilliant diamond to be a bit out of round. Though this detracts from the brilliance, it does help to preserve weight.

In recent years, technology has been developed to scientifically measure the fire, scintillation and brilliance of a diamond. A well cut diamond will receive higher scores in each of these measurement scales. GEMEX is the most popular technology utilized to measure the brightness of a diamond.

A diamond that is cut to achieve maximum brilliance is often termed “ideal cut”. My favorite ideal cut diamond is the BIRO 88. Instead of the standard 58 facets, the BIRO 88 has 88 perfectly placed facets. This makes it the most brilliant diamond available in our industry.