When you are shopping for diamonds you may come across some terms like Excellent, Good and Very Good diamond cuts. These classifications are based on the quality of diamonds. It is better to know the differences between these terms for you to get the right diamond according to your needs. Rockher.com shares the differences between these diamond cuts.
Diamond Cut
Diamond cut is an important factor in determining the value of a diamond. Cut is responsible for producing the brilliance and sparkle in diamonds. If the cut is proper, then the diamond will shine more and a poor cut will make the diamond lifeless. Hence, the cut of a stone should be given high priority when you shop for diamonds.
According to GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the cut for round diamonds is classified into different grades. They are: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Diamonds with Excellent cut will have the greatest value, whereas, Poor cut diamonds will be least desired.
The evaluation process for determining the quality of the cut of a diamond is very complex. It involves accessing the proportion of different parts of the stone, analyzing the symmetry and arrangements of its facets and determining the quality of the polish of the stone.
The proportion and symmetry of a diamond decides the amount of light entering the stone. Hence, these factors have a direct impact on the brilliance and radiance of a diamond. If the facet arrangement is disproportional and asymmetric, then the scintillation, fire and brilliance of a diamond will be low.
Characteristics of Excellent Cut
Excellent cut diamonds are most desirable among the whole diamond cuts as they will have perfect symmetry and proportion. Hence they will have maximum brilliance, fire and other such properties. A stone with Excellent cut will create a clear and balanced pattern of both white as well as dark spots, producing a perfect contrast between them.
One advantage that excellent cut diamonds have other than producing maximum shine is that, they hide the imperfections of a diamond to a greater extent. Even if the diamond has a small amount of inclusions or blemishes, it will remain hidden because of the great brilliance and sparkle such diamonds exhibit. Hence, when you buy a round diamond engagement ring, go for an excellent cut if you want the most sparkling diamond.
Like round diamonds, cut is also important for other fancy diamond shapes too. Therefore, make sure the cut of your stone is proper even if you buy cushion cut engagement rings or princess cut engagement rings or any other rings with fancy-shaped diamonds.
Characteristics of Very Good Cut
Diamonds with very good cut are almost similar to excellent cut diamonds, however, one or two dimensions of such stones will be outside the determined standard for a top-quality cut. Even though, there will be only a slight difference between an excellent cut and very good cut they are classified into two entirely different quality levels. This is a good example of the significant difference in the value of diamonds even with the minute difference in their quality.
Very Good cut diamonds will also have fantastic brilliance and sparkle, but slightly less than stones with Excellent cut. Although the characteristics of these diamonds will be inferior to excellent stones they do not have a dramatical difference in their appearance. When these diamonds are viewed from above, they may appear a bit darker and the contrast between bright and dark spots can be a little bit uneven.
Characteristics of Good Cut
Diamonds with a good cut will have less capability in reflecting light than Excellent and Very Good cut diamonds. Hence their properties like brilliance, fire, scintillation etc. will be inferior to the stones with other two cuts. When you look at stones with Good cut from above, the arrangement of their facets will be asymmetrical and the contrast between bright and dark spots can be predominantly dark.
These stones also produce good brilliance, fire, etc., but not as good as Excellent and Very Good cut diamonds. A great portion of the light entering these stones will leak out rather than reflecting, which results in less brilliance.
Deciding between diamonds of different qualities
In general, a diamond with high cut grade will have maximum brilliance and other characteristics that are desired in diamonds. The lower the cut grade is, the lower will be its features and value.
However, deciding a cut grade solely depends on your priorities. If you want maximum shine for your diamond despite its huge amount, then you can go for Excellent cut diamonds. But if you are ready to compromise on quality for getting a reduction in the price, then Good cut diamonds are a great choice for you.
When you buy diamond rings compare rings with different cut grades and see the difference between them in their appearance. Even if you buy a round brilliant diamond ring or cushion cut diamond engagement rings, comparing the diamonds of different cut grade is important. It will help you to select the best diamond that fits your budget. You can decide if spending a good fortune for an Excellent cut diamond is worth it, or if it is better to settle for a diamond with Good cut grade. This will help you to get maximum value for your diamond for the amount you spend.