Diamond Ring Cut Guide

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Diamonds can have cut grades of Ideal, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor.

The cut, or proportions and angles, of a diamond determines how it reflects light. A diamond's reflective properties are referred to as "fire" or "brilliance."

Too shallow a cut will let light escape through the sides of the diamond before it has a chance to reflect, making it appear watery or dull, while too deep a cut will allow light to be lost through the bottom of the diamond, making it appear dark, especially in the center.

Fair

Ideal

Fair: A diamond that reflects light well and costs less than a Good cut.

Good: A diamond that might be slightly deeper or shallower, or have a slightly larger or smaller table facet, compared to an Ideal cut. Cutters may choose a Good cut in order to strike a balance between cut and carat weight retention. Diamonds with a Good cut grade reflect most of the light entering them and are an excellent value.

Very Good: A diamond cut to exacting proportions, allowing it to reflect almost as much light as an Ideal cut would. Diamonds with a Very Good cut grade are brilliant diamonds with lower prices than Ideal cut.

Ideal: A diamond cut to extremely exacting proportions of depth, diameter, and angles, allowing for maximum brilliance (white light returning to the eye), dispersion (the play of colors you see in a diamond.s reflections), and scintillation (sparkling flashes that are seen when the stone, light source, or the viewer moves). Diamonds with an Ideal cut grade are much rarer and more expensive than diamonds with a Very Good or Good cut grade.