The key factor that determines the appearance of a diamond is its cut. It requires a highly skilled diamond cutter to make flawless diamond shapes with utmost perfection.
How do you say if a cut is good or bad? What are the factors that determine the quality of a diamond cut? Read on to find out the answers.
Table
Also known as the facet, the table of a diamond is the flat part on the top of the diamond. The table percentage is a parameter that you find in the grading report of diamonds that you buy. The term refers to the ratio of the width of the diamond’s table in relation to the width of the whole stone. Attaining the perfect ratio is the key to the brilliance of the diamond. To obtain the table percentage, divide the width of the table by the diameter of the diamond’s girdle.
If the table percentage is 60, that means the table width is 60 percent of the diameter of the diamond.
Depth
The depth of a diamond refers to the length of the diamond measured from the table to the bottom of the stone. The stone’s depth percentage is obtained by dividing its depth by its width. How large the diamond appears is determined by its depth percentage. If you compare two stones of the same carat weight, the one with a lower depth percentage will appear larger than the one with a larger depth percentage.
Symmetry
Symmetry refers to the alignment of the table and facet, as well as the precision with which the shape is cut. Better symmetry of a diamond implies that its facets will be optimally balanced producing better sparkle.
Cut Grade
A cut grade is assigned to diamonds by taking into account their table percentage, depth percentage, polish, and symmetry. After analyzing all of these factors, a gemologist decides the cut grade of the diamond. The cut grade will give you an idea of the brilliance, sparkle, and overall appearance of the diamond.
A well-cut diamond will not be too shallow or too deep. If a diamond is too shallow, the light will reflect from its bottom. If it is too deep, it will reflect light poorly.
When buying diamonds, make sure you select good cut grades that also go well with your budget. Do some research before buying a diamond, and if needed, take an expert with you.
