When you think about the cut of a diamond, your mind might immediately go to “round,” or fancy shapes like “princess,” “emerald,” or “pear.” These terms are actually talking about the shape of your diamond, not the cut.

The cut is what happens when a diamond cutter cuts a diamond into the shiny rock we all know and love. There is a high level of skill that goes into finessing a diamond's facets to produce the shimmering stones we all know. The higher quality cuts will give us shinier and more sparkly diamonds.

The diamond cut determines how much light is reflected in the diamond. An ideal diamond cut (usually a round brilliant diamond) maximizes the striking of light in each pavilion and the crown for reflection. An ideal cut ensures that nearly all light is reflected—which gives the diamond maximum sparkle and beauty.

An ideal cut is only able to happen with the round brilliant cut diamond and princess-shaped diamond. Ideal cut diamonds are very rare and actually only represent 1% of all diamonds. Interestingly, round brilliant cut diamonds are the most popular diamond shape--especially for engagement rings.

Shopping for an ideal diamond can feel overwhelming. After all, you’re looking for the ideal and perfect cut diamond. Here are a few things to consider that can help you when shopping for an ideal cut diamond:

Don’t Get Lost in the Details of the 4 C’s

When you’re shopping for a diamond, you probably hear about the 4 C’s all the time. Four things can be a lot to keep track of.

When you’re looking for an ideal diamond, stay focused primarily on the cut. The cut is the most important of the 4 C’s, and if you want an ideal diamond, it should be your focus.

Know Your Carat Before You Shop

It can be distracting to shop and get caught up in all the beautiful diamonds. But if you go in with your ideal carat size in mind (the weight of the diamond), you can stay focused on finding an ideal cut diamond.

Be Willing to Sacrifice Size for Brilliance

While it’s important to consider your desired diamond size before shopping, maximum brilliance may require a smaller diamond.

The diamond cutting process requires exact precision, and an ideal cut requires a certain number of pavilions and facets, which can cause an ideal diamond to be smaller. So if your priority is an ideal cut, be willing to sacrifice size to get that.

Keep In Mind That Ideal Cut Diamonds Are Really Rare

Ideal cut diamonds are only 1% of all diamonds, and they’re hard to find. If an ideal cut is your priority, you should remember that and shop early to give yourself time to find the diamond quality you want.

Start looking for your perfect diamond earlier than you might otherwise because you’re looking for something rare—a truly rare beauty, a perfect diamond cut.

The ideal cut diamond isn’t the only diamond cut out there. There’s an entire cut grade chart, similar to those for color and clarity. This is the diamond cut grade chart to consider:

Excellent

These are the diamonds that maximize white light reflection and are of the highest quality cut.

Very good

These diamonds still reflect brilliantly, but they’re either shallower or deeper than an excellent diamond, and some light is lost. Most of the time, a “very good” diamond is still as visibly sparkly as an “excellent” rated diamond.

Good

These diamonds reflect a good amount of light and provide some sparkle and brilliance but at a lower level.

Fair

These diamonds are cut too shallow or deep and have little brilliance. They can be a good choice for side stones or for very small carats.

Poor

These diamonds offer no brilliance, and little light escapes from the sides or bottom of the diamond.

Remember that cut is often the most important of the 4 C’s to consider, so it’s good practice to only consider diamonds that are very good and above.

An ideal cut diamond is very good. A diamond's cut quality reflects the level of craftsmanship that goes into creating it; it's of the most important factors to weigh when you're shopping round brilliant diamonds.

Among all other diamond shapes, round diamonds are the most popular for engagement rings thanks to their eye-catching sparkle. And while you should also consider the color, carat weight, and clarity of a round diamond, its cut quality is what will determine how much it shines.

The ideal cut comes from the AGS Diamond Grading Laboratory scale, and the excellent cut comes from the GIA Diamond Grading Laboratory. So which one is better can depend on many factors.

One thing to consider when it comes to a diamond's quality is that about 55% of GIA diamonds receive an “excellent” rating. This means there are so many types of diamonds with that, and not all of them will shine brilliantly. Some experts wouldn’t recommend some of these diamonds with an “excellent” rating. The same isn’t true for an ideal cut.

So technically, you can be sure that you are getting one of the rarest diamonds if it has an ideal cut, but you can’t guarantee that with an excellent cut. But more importantly, you should always verify the diamond and look at it in person if possible to make sure you are getting the right level of quality and sparkle that you’re looking for.

In general, the better the diamond cut quality, the more money you might pay. A well-cut diamond that’s of a reasonable color and clarity will cost typically around $4,000–$10,000 mostly dependent on the carat. The more the diamond weighs combined with a higher quality cut will increase the cost exponentially for more diamond retailers.

Here at Clean Origin, you can select a carat, color, shape, and clarity rating of your choice and find our diamonds don’t increase drastically for a high-quality cut. Because we work with lab grown diamonds, we can provide high-quality cut diamonds without the hefty price tag.

If you need help finding the best diamond for you budget and needs, our diamond experts are always on hand to help via virtual appointments or in-store at one of our retail locations. Shop now to find your forever diamond.