Cut

Of all the information presented on this site, these chapters are by far the most important reading you're going to do.

The information that I'll be sharing here on cut is crucial and critical to both the brilliance, fire and scintillation of the stone and it's purchase price. This chapter on cut will be broken down into 12 sections. As is the rest of this site, I'm going to try my hardest to keep this in the most simplest and easiest language to understand.

Few, if any jewelers go into any depth when teaching their clients about "cut", the way it is understood by the gemologist. There are a few reasons for this.

The jeweler is ignorant.
The jeweler knows about cut quality but doesn't want you to.
The jeweler knows about it but since he doesn't have the means to grade the cut, fails to teach you about it.

Most jewelry stores I've walked into and asked about "cut" (when I'm shopping my competition undercover ;) will usually talk to me about the "shape" of the stone (ie. round, marquise, pear etc.) as opposed to cut quality. While the term "cut" could refer to the shape of the diamond, most jewelers stop there and do not discuss cut quality. Of the 4 C's you may have to use a little more brain power to grasp cut quality but once you do, it'll be a breeze.

In this chapter on "cut" we will be discussing the following factors about cut.

The various shapes and which shapes are valued more than others.
Tips to look for on the various shapes.
The parts and facets of the diamond.
The symmetry and polish of the diamond.
The proportions of the diamond.
Ideal Cut Proportions
The AGS Triple "0"
Cut Analysis 101
Hearts and Arrows Diamonds (Full Brochure)
Cut grading scales and methods.
The BrillianceScope™.
And of course my most invaluable "tips"! =)
FAQ's

When you are done with this section you will want to check out the chapter on "How to Read a Gemological Report", because then you will understand what you're looking at!

Proceed to the first chapter on cut... Shapes