THE ART OF LIGHT

DIAMOND CUT

A diamond’s cut determines how effectively it interacts with light. Precise proportions, symmetry and polish allow light to travel through the stone and return with brilliance, fire and scintillation—giving a diamond its distinctive beauty and life.

WHAT IS DIAMOND CUT?

A diamond’s cut refers not to its shape, but to the precision of its proportions, facet alignment, symmetry and polish. These elements determine how effectively light enters the diamond, moves through its facets and returns to the eye—creating its brilliance, fire and scintillation.

LIGHT PERFORMANCE

A beautifully cut diamond manages light in three distinct ways—through brilliance, fire and scintillation. Together, they create the sparkle, contrast and visual energy that bring a diamond to life.

  • BRILLIANCE

    The intensity of white light reflected from the surface and interior of the diamond. Superior proportions create exceptional brightness and a lively, luminous appearance.

  • FIRE

    The dispersion of white light into flashes of spectral color. A well-cut diamond separates light beautifully, creating vivid flashes of color as it moves.

  • SCINTILLATION

    The pattern of bright and dark flashes seen as the diamond, light source or viewer moves. Strong scintillation gives a diamond its dynamic sparkle and visual energy.

PROPORTIONS MATTERS

A diamond’s proportions determine how efficiently it handles light. When a diamond is cut too shallow or too deep, light can escape instead of returning through the crown. Well-balanced proportions allow light to return toward the eye, creating greater brilliance, fire and visual life.

CUT GRADES

Cut grades describe how effectively a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish work together to return light. For round brilliant diamonds, the scale ranges from Excellent to Poor.

  • EXCELLENT

    Exceptional light return, brightness and overall visual performance.

  • VERY GOOD

    Strong light performance with only minor differences from Excellent.

  • GOOD

    Good overall sparkle, though some light may be lost through less efficient proportions

  • FAIR

    Reduced brightness and fire as more light escapes from the diamond.


  • POOR

    Weak light return and limited sparkle caused by inefficient proportions.

SYMMETRY & POLISH

Cut quality is influenced not only by a diamond’s proportions, but also by the precision of its symmetry and polish. Symmetry describes how accurately the facets align and balance with one another, while polish refers to the smoothness and finish of each facet. High standards in both help maximize crisp light return and the diamond’s overall visual beauty.

BEYOND THE CERTIFICATE

THE ANGELICA PERSPECTIVE

A grading report provides essential technical information, but it does not tell the entire visual story. At Angelica Jewellers, we consider the diamond as a whole—its proportions, symmetry, polish, brilliance, fire and scintillation—before recommending it. Our focus is not simply on the grade, but on how beautifully the diamond performs in person.