A Cutting Insight

When it comes to diamonds, size is not everything. Nothing highlights the natural beauty of a diamond like the right cut, and there are many reasons why we may take a diamond to the wheel and lose a bit of weight in the process. 

The quality of a diamond is generally based on two of the 4 C’s: color and clarity. With small adjustments, undesirable feathers or inclusions can be removed, resulting in a higher clarity grade and less distraction from the overall beauty of the stone. By removing dark grain lines or even adjusting the angle of the facets, the color of a diamond can be improved. However, there is more to a diamond’s beauty than just an assigned color and clarity grade. 

Have you ever wondered why some diamonds simply appear to have more life to them? Much of the sparkle and shimmer that makes diamonds come alive can be attributed to the skills of an experienced diamond cutter. Because the cut of a stone determines how light is refracted and reflected inside of it, an expert cutter will work masterfully with the direction of the natural crystal growth to position the facets of the stone for maximum play of light. One of our favorite tricks is to thin the girdle of a stone to prevent light from leaking out of the sides, therefore maintaining as much sparkle and scintillation as possible towards the top of the stone where it matters most. 

While of course you always want to maintain as much material as possible, there are more important qualities than a diamond’s weight. In the world of diamonds, we’re proponents of quality over quantity -- we’ll value cleaner, brighter, more beautiful stones over a few carats any day.