Diamond Cut

The crystal structure of diamond not only makes it very durable but it also has an important role in how it works with light. The most popular shape is the round brilliant cut, other shapes such as oval, pear, marquis, emerald and princess cut are also available. These are known as fancy cuts. The only limitation to the cutting and shaping is imagination.

The round brilliant cut is popular because it maximises light. When ideally cut light enters through the top of the stone, hits the back facets and then reflects back through the top. This is known as brilliance and fire (dispersion). If a stone is not ideally cut then light will leak out the side or bottom of the stone. The stone will not sparkle as much and may even appear black in the centre.