| A Quick Lesson "Beyond the 4 Cs" for Diamond | | | | Therein lies the dilemma, the trade off the cutting |
| Shoppers | | | | factory has to make, size and number of stones |
| The 4 C's of diamond grading are not four C's at | | | | over cut quality. For obvious business reasons, the |
| all because the most important attribute is | | | | quality can often be compromised. |
| "beyond the 4 Cs", beyond what the eye can | | | | It is the rarity of diamonds that drive their value, |
| see, it adds or detracts from a diamond's beauty | | | | the rarer the diamond, the higher the price. Rarity |
| and more importantly "value" more than any | | | | is defined by the combination of all the 4Cs, this is |
| other variable in diamond grading. | | | | why an "Ideal Cut" diamond demands the |
| The B in "beyond" stands for brilliance, the most | | | | premium pricing found in the market place. The |
| important attribute of a gem grade diamond, in | | | | most rough is lost when creating this rare and |
| that the beauty of a diamond is actually the | | | | magnificent diamond, thus this cut is reserved for |
| beauty of the brilliance of light. Inherently we all | | | | the highest quality color and clarity stones, only |
| know this when we see a beautiful stone, but we | | | | gem grade stones will be ideal cut. So while there |
| don't know why. All diamonds appear beautiful and | | | | are quality tradeoffs in color and clarity, due to |
| brilliant in the light of the jewelry store "spot | | | | the loss of rough, no other aspect affects value |
| lights", but it is in the natural light that the | | | | (and price) greater than cut. |
| difference can truly be seen between an excellent | | | | Ideal Cut Diamonds |
| cut diamond and a poorly cut diamond. | | | | The "Ideal Cut" diamond is elusive because it is so |
| I'm speaking specifically in regard to "gem grade | | | | technical in nature and cannot be seen by the |
| diamonds", diamonds with color at J or above and | | | | human eye. For example, the parameters below |
| clarity above SI-2. The brilliance (cut) is the most | | | | define the Ideal Cut range, |
| important consideration in the evaluation of quality. | | | | Ideal Cut Parameters: |
| The cut can influence a diamonds value and price | | | | - Table Diameter: 52.4% to 57.5% |
| by as much as 25%. Until recently, it was the | | | | - Crown Angle: 33.7 degrees to 35.8 degrees |
| least documented or understood by the | | | | - Girdle Thickness: Thin to Slightly Thick (.51% to |
| consumer when purchasing a diamond. | | | | 2.95%) |
| Cut, the proportions and finish, are what | | | | - Pavilion Angle: 40.2 degrees to 41.25 degrees |
| determine a diamonds optical qualities and cut | | | | - Culet: None (Pointed) to Medium |
| (brilliance) grading assesses the nature of those | | | | - Total Depth: 56.88% to 63.92% |
| optical qualities that make up diamonds brilliance - | | | | You can learn more about Ideal Cut Diamonds in |
| the amount of light and the nature of and balance | | | | the Diamond Education Center. |
| of light returned to the viewers eye. The cut of | | | | In my experience, what's important for a |
| the diamond is also the "unnatural" feature of the | | | | consumer to be aware of is hidden flaws in a |
| stone, crafted by a human cutter, the artist, and | | | | diamonds cut. When comparing two stones and |
| the businessman. | | | | one seems like a "great deal", this is often where |
| The Rarity of Diamonds and Cut Dilemma | | | | the discounting occurs (this and fluorescence, |
| About half of the world's diamonds are mined | | | | another topic). Or, worse yet, proper discounting |
| from central and southern Africa and the other | | | | has not occurred. If a consumer is not aware and |
| half come from various countries such as Canada, | | | | merely compares color and clarity he/she may |
| India, Russia, Brazil, and Australia. Diamonds are | | | | not get the full value unless they know to assess |
| usually mined from volcanic pipes deep in the | | | | the cut. This does not imply that a diamond needs |
| earth, where the high pressure and heat provide | | | | to be an Ideal Cut to be beautiful; on the |
| the conditions necessary for diamond formation. | | | | contrary, many diamonds in lower cut grades are |
| Following the technical mining process, the rough | | | | beautiful but you don't want to pay too much. |
| stones are shipped out to be cut and polished. | | | | Ask for Documentation |
| Traditional diamond cutting centers are located in | | | | The key to diamond shopping, ask for |
| Antwerp, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, New York, | | | | documentation on the diamond cut grade. GIA |
| and Tel Aviv. Centers have also been recently | | | | recently started including this on their |
| established in China, India, and Thailand. | | | | certifications, AGS also has a cut grade. But to |
| When the "rough" reaches its location, the difficult | | | | get the exact proportions, degrees, and angles a |
| task of cutting can begin. The cutting of diamonds | | | | more detailed analysis is required. This is typically |
| requires not only a great deal of skill, but a great | | | | done on a Sarin Proportion Analyzer, which will |
| deal of specialized tools as well. Cutters must use | | | | provide exact measurements of any diamond |
| special saws, blades, and grinders to cut a rough | | | | even as small as .10ct. |
| diamond into a brilliant stone. And even with | | | | So when asked, how important is cut grade, I |
| modern machinery and techniques the cutting | | | | always say it is the MOST important. It drives |
| process always results in a dramatic loss of | | | | brilliance, beauty, price and ultimately long term |
| weight in the rough. In fact, is it rarely less than | | | | value. At my company, Diamond Design Co. we |
| 50% of the total carat weight that is lost in the | | | | focus on the cut of every stone, from the |
| cutting and faceting process. | | | | smallest to largest, each stone is hand selected, |
| The cutter has two objectives when cutting a | | | | and prior to mounting, measured on a Sarin |
| stone, although they often conflict with one | | | | Proportion Analyzer and selected for ideal |
| another. The cutter wants to keep the most | | | | proportions and brilliance creating the most |
| weight possible out of the rough, but also create | | | | beautiful pieces of diamond jewelry. |
| a cut which is highly valued by the market place. | | | | Learn before you buy, read "Beyond the 4Cs". |