Diamond Cut
When a diamond is first mined, it does not natively exhibit the essence of brilliance and beauty. Instead, it has to be cut and polished to display such. The cut of the diamond entails how well or poorly a diamond has been faceted, polished and proportioned. Considered as the most important C among the rest, it has the greatest effect on how light reflects and travels through a diamond. A diamond's shape is also determined by its cut and is an indicator of the quality of the stone's craftsmanship.
A diamond's shape should not be confused with its cut. Its shape refers to the outward physical appearance, such as round brilliant, princess, oval, heart, pear and others. A stone's cut, however, alludes to the diamond's reflective traits. It is very important for a stone to be well cut because the cut is responsible for the amount of light reflected back to the viewer's eyes. The more light reflected, the more brilliant a diamond becomes. The fire of a diamond is in reference to the evenness of light dispersion within the stone. The fire and brilliance, therefore, are prime factors in determining the diamond's beauty.
An ideal cut is the best there is as it amplifies the light dispersion within the stone and the distribution of light passing through the stone. The next level of quality is gauged as very good to excellent. These cuts are better than average and fetch a rather high price. A good cut displays proper balance of light dispersion and brilliance, but cannot compare with an ideally cut diamond. A fair cut departs from the favored proportions while a poor cut indicates weak dispersion of light and second-rate workmanship.
The following is a guide to a diamond's anatomy:
Diameter. The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
Table. The largest facet of a gemstone.
Crown. The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table.
Pavilion. The bottom portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the culet.
Culet. The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye (graded "small" or "none")
Depth. The height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table.