Diamonds are known for their purity and lustre. A diamond is the hardest naturally occurring crystalline form of solid carbon formed over millions of years inside the earth’s crust. They are reliable and sturdy and are moulded by skilled craftsmen to adorn beautiful jewellery created for elegant ladies. This makes it expensive and in high demand. Sometimes it is not even just women, but men too who crave for the same.
The quality of a diamond is attributed to four of its components, namely Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity; the 4 C’s of diamond quality. The combination of these 4 C’s play an essential role in imparting beauty and value to a diamond. All four aspects are evaluated in a GIA certified jewellery shop which helps the buyers identify genuine sellers from fraudsters in the market.
The cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4 C’s of diamond quality because only if cut in the proper proportions will the diamond reflect or return light in the right ways and sparkle. The ideal cut incorporates the symmetry, proportioning as well as the polish of the diamond. The smoothness and alignment of the different facets of a diamond are denoted by the polish and symmetry, respectively.
A brilliant round cut gives the diamond a round shape when polished. It is the one that is employed in 75% of the diamonds sold all over the world. The other prominent cuts include the Princess cut, Marquise cut, Pillow cut, Emerald cut, Radiant cut, Pear-shaped, Oval cut and the Asscher cut.
Prince Cut stone are brilliant because the colour of the diamond is seen in the centre and also in each of the corners. It’s the same with Pillow cut diamonds as well; in both cases, their brilliance is attributed to the rounded corners and larger facets of the diamond.
Marquise cut diamonds have a unique shape maximising the Carat weight; it also creates an impression of slender hands and fingers for the wearer.
The emerald cut has rectangular facets step cut into the diamond’s pavilion. Radiant cuts combined with the brilliance of a round shape render an emerald cut amazingly beautiful.
The exceptional teardrop style of Pear shaped diamonds combines round and marquise cuts. The oval cut is a popular type of cut in jewellery, especially in Engagement Stone and has a brilliant appearance similar to the round cut.
Asscher cut diamonds are the most expensive of all types because they cannot hide the blemishes in diamonds as well as the other cuts.
The weight of a diamond is measured in terms of Carats equalling 200 mg, i.e. one-fifth of a gram. Even if two separate diamonds are of equal Carat weight, they may cost different due to the differences in colour, clarity and cut.