Learn about Gemstone Cuts
Here is some information on the most popular choices of gemstone or diamond cut that you could have with your engagement ring.
One of the key decisions to make when choosing your engagement ring is the shape of your diamond or gemstone. There is a set number of cuts to choose from, ranging from the most popular brilliant (round) or princess cuts (square) to more unusual cuts such as the Asscher cut. If you are thinking of a square cut for your engagement ring a design should be considered that protects the points. The quality of the cut is hugely important in creating the sparkle and fire of the diamond or gemstone. An 'ideal' cut is the term you should aim for, however everyone has a different opinion as to what 'ideal' means. Some people prefer a diamond to have a somewhat larger table, say around 60%, so the diamond looks bigger, whereas others want the Tolkowsky Ideal cut, as calculated in the early 20th century by mathematician Markov Tolkowsky. The GIA is the largest body in the world for diamond grading and they grade diamonds in the following way: Class 1 is Ideal. Class 2 is Very Fine, Class 3 is Fair, and Class 4 is Poor.
The two basic classifications of cutting styles are step cut and brilliant cut. In step cut stones, all facets are four-sided and in steps, or rows. All facets are parallel to the girdle and therefore, except those on the corners, long and usually narrow. An example of a step cut is an emerald cut. The standard round brilliant cut consists of a total of 58 facets and is a much more sparkly cut, hence its popularity.
If you have any questions at all, would like a ball park quote for an engagement ring idea or would like to arrange a designer consultation for a commissioned engagement ring please contact us
Related Blog articles
- Read Kerrie's blog article on diamond cuts.
- Read Antoinette's blog article on cutting the cullinan.