The Round Cut Diamond

It is not an exaggeration to say that round cut diamonds conquered the world! But how to pick this gemstone and not get into trouble? In this article, we`ll describe everything you need to know about a round cut diamond: from the history of its creation to the secrets that lie behind its beauty. We will help you understand how to pick up the best round diamond and what aspects require the most attention from you.

A lot of people think of a brilliant cut diamond as the fanciest stone for jewelry possible, and they are quite right. If colorless, the gem amazes with the beauty of its outstanding brilliance. If cut carefully, its numerous facets glow so brightly that other cuts simply cannot compete with its light reflection. But you shouldn`t take this magic for granted: only a touch of the master can create the needed combination of proportions, angles, and facets in a diamond.

The round brilliant cut as we know it appeared in the 20th century only. Prior to its invention, it was common to use the old European cut. This antique diamond had been impressing diamond connoisseurs during the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras. Compared to the round brilliant cut, the old European cut has a smaller table, thicker facets with triangular blocks, and a heavier crown. Because of that, it`s not that brilliant but highlights the diamond’s color awesomely.

The modern round brilliant cut has 58 facets and resembles a glowing upside-down cone. Marcel Tolkowsky first described it in his work “Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond,” published in 1919. His argumentation on the ideal proportions was so convincing that the round cut`s popularity started to grow very quickly after this publication.

Since then, diamond cutting techniques have advanced a lot, and the ideal parameters of the round cut diamond have changed as well. Now, to be considered high-quality, this cut can have smaller culets, larger tables, and leaner facets than Tolkowsky assumed. This lets a stone reflect white light differently but still perfectly.

Compared to other cuts, the cost of a round diamond cut is quite high. And there are three main reasons for that:

• The cutting removes the bigger part of a raw diamond,
• Round cut diamond is highly demanded,
• This cut type has remarkable characteristics.

Among all, round diamonds are so expensive because this cut requires bigger stones to make. The cutter should remove more than half of a rough stone to do a good job! This is a huge waste of material compared to other cuts. In contrast, the initial carat weight loss after making a princess cut does not exceed 20% normally.

Another cause for the price boost is the growing popularity of round cut diamonds. It`s the top pick for the majority of diamond engagement rings. And so, the market inevitably dictates its rules: if the demand grows, the price does not lag behind.

The final explanation of the round diamond cut`s high cost is its outstanding brilliance and beauty. They are worth paying more. Moreover, it needs advanced technology to ensure ideal proportions, which also leads to an extra payment.

And as the classic look of a brilliant cut will hardly lose its popularity in the coming decades, such investment remains visionary and reasonable.

The beauty of a diamond’s appearance heavily depends on the quality of its cut. In particular, proportions affect a diamond`s ability to reflect light and provide brilliance. Moreover, they determine the shape of a stone.

Because of it, the alternative way to evaluate the cut quality is to measure the brightness of its sparkling. In particular, all cuts (round diamonds are no exclusion here) may be assessed by the level of brilliance (white light) and fire (rainbow of colors). However, it`s hard to rely on this assessment solely. That`s why the expert scale to measure diamond cut quality was introduced.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is a worldwide-recognized organization that issues the most reliable reports on diamond quality. According to its cut grading, the stone can have Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor cut. The more light is reflected by the table, the better grade the diamond will have.

You can rely on the GIA grading when choosing a diamond cut, especially if you want to get a good light reflection. Always pay attention to the proportions of the stone: the cut shouldn`t appear too deep or shallow. Otherwise, a considerable amount of light will be lost.

Let`s put some numbers here. The ideal cut by Tolkowsky has a crown angle of 34.5 degrees with a 40.8-degree pavilion. In this case, a diamond will reflect most of the light through the table and crown right in the eye, saving maximum brilliance and fire.

Inclusions and blemishes distinguish natural diamonds from cheap artificial and synthetic versions of stones like cubic zirconia and moissanite. However, their presence should be strictly limited. In order to identify the difference in the level of such imperfections in diamonds, the GIA created the following scale:

• IF: Internally Flawless,
• VVS1: Very Very Small Inclusions 1,
• VVS2: Very Very Small Inclusions 2,
• VS1: Very Small Inclusions 1,
• VS2: Very Small Inclusions 2,
• SI1: Small Inclusions 1,
• SI2: Small Inclusions 2,
• I1: Inclusions 1,
• I2: Inclusions 2.

For any diamond cut, the absence of visible implication is the indicator of good quality. Therefore, it doesn`t really matter which clarity grade is specified the diamond must be eye-clean without magnification. Diamonds of the nearby grades may look identical to the bare eye, but the price gap between them may be huge.

Also, pay attention to the location of the inclusions. If the implications are found on the diamond`s sides, they may be covered by prongs of the ring and remain invisible. There is no point in picking up more expensive options if the inclusions won`t be seen. For example, you may buy an S1-grade diamond with some blemishes near the edge and hide them with the appropriate setting. By doing so, you will save a huge amount of money and still get an eye-catchy piece of jewelry.

For the task to reflect as much light as possible, the appropriate diamond color is the characteristic that opens up the beauty of a round brilliant cut even more. But whatever color the gemstone has, it will be partly concealed due to the high level of brilliance.

To differentiate the tints of a diamond, the GIA created another scale with grades from D to Z, where D stands for the most colorless stone, and Z is the grade with a brown or yellow tint. However, the difference between two adjacent grades (for example, E and F) is hardly noticeable with the naked eye. Therefore, if choosing between the stones in a similar setting, know that the lower grade (F compared to E) will let you save at least several hundred dollars. Why would you overpay for an almost identical diamond if even experts cannot easily tell the difference?

The only reason you should prefer one color grade to another one is the setting`s material. An ideal combination is when a diamond is relatively colorless for its setting. For example, a white gold ring looks stunning with a J-color diamond, but yellow gold suggests a K- or L-color stone. Don`t hesitate to engage an expert as hundreds or even thousands of dollars may be at stake.

If you`re looking for brilliance in a diamond, a round cut is your best option so far. A high-quality round diamond is a long-term investment that will justify itself one hundred percent. We hope the information given in this article will help you make the right choice and remain happy with your round cut diamond. Show your love to people you value the most. And don`t forget that cut is the most.

If you need guidance on getting the best round cut diamond, you can contact our experts to guide you in this glowing world of gemstones. With over 65 years of experience, we`re capable of getting any diamond for you for wholesale price. Get a free quote, and see yourself that finding the balance of price and quality is what we do best!