A lot of diamond buyers confuse diamond shape with diamond cut. The latter refers to the outline, which is a profile based on the cutting process alone. On the other hand, the cut portrays the faceting patterns, proportions, and other technical aspects. Examples for diamond shapes include round, rectangular, square, etc; options such as the marquise cut, emerald cut, cushion cut, etc, are all examples of diamond cut.
Note that the cut of a diamond is more important than its shape, since the former can make your gemstone either extremely brilliant or just as dull. Hence, it is important for you to choose among the top diamond cuts for your engagement ring. Speaking of diamond ring cuts, there are mainly two types: brilliant cuts and step cuts.
Brilliant Diamond Cut
As the name indicates, brilliant cut diamonds are designed in such a way as to exhibit maximum sparkle. Currently, round brilliant cut diamonds are regarded as the top diamond cuts in this group. The main reason for this is the 58 facets of round brilliant stones, which are arranged in a unique way. In fact, the ability of these facets to reflect light is nearly unmatched. The diamond cut which offers the best brilliance and sparkle after round cut diamonds, is the princess cut. Princess cut stones are also referred to as modified square brilliants. Other brilliant diamond options that could look extremely flattering on your fingers include the marquise, oval, and pear cuts. That said, it would be really hard to cut fancy diamond shapes in a lot of stones, because of the Bowtie effect.
Step Diamond Cut
Among diamond ring cuts, the step cut is characterized by flat tables and a stepped exterior layout. Popular examples are baguette diamonds and emerald cut diamonds. When it comes to the former option, you get only 14 facets. Hence, baguettes display a mirror-like reflection rather than an impressive sparkle. In contrast, emerald cut diamonds boast 58 facets each, and offer magnificent brilliance. An engagement ring with such a stone would be ideal for all couples with an admiration for vintage or sophisticated diamond ring designs.
Diamond Cutting Process
Some enthusiasts may wonder at the transformation of rough diamonds into the sparkling ones. It is to be noted that this process includes many steps that are carried out under the supervision of skilled craftsmen. The main thing that a cutter would think about before cutting a diamond, is its intended shape. Depending on this, he would plan the facet proportions, cut symmetry, and polish.
It is a known fact that diamonds are the hardest materials in the world, which means you could only use other diamonds to cut them properly. For this, diamond cutters usually use equipment with diamond bladed edges, or discs lined in diamond dust, in their workshops. Laser cutting is a good alternative; however, its use is ideally limited to processes such as cleaving, bruting, etc. Note that the cutting process is actually divided into five smaller steps that cover planning, cleaving, bruting, polishing, and inspection. An in-depth look at each, and how it contributes to the formation of top diamond cuts, is given below.
Planning
This is one of the most time-consuming steps in the diamond cutting process. Here, the cutter would thoroughly analyze a diamond in order to decide a shape for it. The main objective is either to minimize rough diamond wastage, or to maximize cut diamond yield. For this, the planner would consider the number of inclusions as well as the direction of cleavage or grains in the diamond. Nowadays, there are software applications which determine the best possible shapes for a diamond by analyzing its details.
Cleaving
A diamond can be cleaved in four directions because of its atomic structure. Here, the cleaver would cut the rough diamond into many pieces, so that he can work on smaller diamond units more effectively. Note that diamonds are usually cut along the cleavage in order to eliminate such flaws efficiently, without any rough diamond wastage. Ideally, diamonds are cut by means of the sawing process.
Bruting
Bruting is also known as girdling or rounding. In this process, two diamonds are placed in a spinning machine in the opposite direction. As the machine spins, the stones would create friction with each other, and eventually cause a conical shape or girdled finish to form.
Faceting and Polishing
Once a diamond is girdled, the lapper would work on the main 18 factes of the brilliant cut. The stone is then passed to a brillianteer to create and polish the remaining 40 facets. The brilliance and fire of a diamond can be determined only after the brillianteering process. After faceting, the diamond is polished well using a machine. Finally, it is boiled in sulphuric and hydrochloric acids, in order to remove any oil and dust remnants.
Inspection
Finally, a professional would thoroughly inspect the diamond in order to ensure that it meets the requirements of the manufacturer. Otherwise, the stone would be sent back to the cutter for further touch-up and quality enhancement.
