Diamond Clarity

Bottom Line Recommendation:  Buy the lowest diamond clarity you can that is still “naked eye-clean.”  While this is impossible with most online vendors, James Allenhas a fantastic tool they call a “virtual loupe”  which allows you to view their diamonds at about 20x magnification.  If you are unsure if the picture you’re looking at will translate to an “eye-clean” diamond, then please contact me and send me the link.  I’ll be happy to take a look for you.

The greatest myth about diamonds is that they are a smart investment.  Edward Jay Epstein, in his industry-shaking exposè on the “Diamond Invention” entitled“Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” clearly and emphatically puts this idea to rest.  I recommend any prospective diamond buyer first read this article from start to finish.  It’s important to be in the right frame of mind when making such a major purchase and not be influenced by all the magic and emotion thrown at you from DeBeers advertising.

Diamonds are a retail product just like any other.  The product goes through various stages of production and distribution (mining, polishing, distribution, retail, and finally customer).  As the diamond changes hands, each participant takes their cut.  By the time the finished product ends up in the customers’ hands, the price is sufficiently inflated that you could never sell it without losing money.  If cars lose 15% when they leave the lot, then figure most diamonds probably lose at least 30-40% when they leave the store.

I began with this because the most common mistake people make when buying diamonds is they purchase a diamond with a diamond clarity grade that is simply too high to appreciate in order to buy a “good investment.”

Lets review the basics really quickly.  The scale of diamond clarity (GIA scale – other labs have added some other interim grades) goes like this (from best to worst): Internally Flawless (IF), Very Very Small Inclusions 1 (VVS1), Very Very Small Inclusions 2 (VVS2), Very Small Inclusions 1 (VS1), Very Small Inclusions 2 (VS2), Small Inclusions 1 (SI1), Small Inclusions 2 (SI2), Inclusions 1 (I1), Inclusions 2 (I2).

I worked in the diamond business for 6+ years.  If you gave me a diamond with a VVS2 diamond clarity grade, it might take me a few minutes with a 10x powered loupe to find the actual pinpoint of an imperfection that is the “Very Very Small Inclusion.”  I could find a VS1 in less time, but it’s only marginally larger than a VVS2.  VS2s and SI1 diamond clarity grades can be spotted right away with a 10x powered loupe, but almost always still completely invisible to the naked eye.  And even most SI diamond clarity grade diamonds cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Now, if a diamond is simply a product that has features that you want to benefit from (i.e., its beauty), why pay a lot more for features from which you will never benefit?

Figure 1: I1 at 9x

Think of your total investment in a diamond ring as a pie.  Each feature of the diamond has its own slice of the pie and the more you spend on a feature the larger its slice (and therefore, another slice or slices must become smaller). Wouldn’t it make sense to apportion the largest slices to the features you can actually derive benefit from?  All you have to do for the other features is make sure the slice is sufficiently large that it doesn’t detract from the beauty of the diamond.

Unfortunately, though, things aren’t quite as simple as I’ve made them seem.  An important thing to remember is that not all inclusions are created equal.  Some inclusions are shiny and some are almost completely clear.  Some inclusions, though, are dead white and some are even stark black.  Some inclusions are dead center in the middle of the diamond, and some are pushed so far off to the side, they aren’t noticed. The diamond clarity grade mainly takes into account the size of the inclusion, and rarely considers the color and opaqueness of the inclusion nor its position.

Thankfully, JamesAllen.com has some truly fantastic cutting-edge photography that will allow us to review actual diamond clarity examples with a tool they call “Virtual Loupe” that they claim provides 18x magnification.

Diamond Clarity – Real World Test

The first diamond I want to review is a 1.00 carat I1.

Figure 2: I1 at 18

This diamond is a perfect example of the great value you can find if you take advantage of technological breakthroughs like James Allen’s virtual loupe.  In Figure 1, which is at 9x magnification, you can barely see anything.  Had I not marked the inclusion in red, you probably would not have noticed it at all.  The inclusion is only slightly opaque, but best of all it is completely on the perimeter of the diamond.  A skilled jeweler could easily cover this with a prong to give your diamond the appearance of being completely clean.

In Figure 2, you can see the same diamond, but with 18x magnification.  In this picture, I have focused on the inclusion so you can better see how its color allows it to blend in with the natural color of the diamond.

The next diamond I want to review is a 1.01 carat VS2.  As you can see in Figure 3, there is a very small inclusion almost dead center in the table of the diamond.

Unfortunately, however, the inclusion is stark black.

Due to the combination of the inclusion’s position and its color, it is very possible it would be visible to the naked eye despite the fact that it has a diamond clarity grade of VS2.

Figure 3: VS2 at 9x

In Figure 4, you see the same inclusion, but at 18x magnification.

Now take a look at the table below (Figure 5) of the two different diamonds’ features.  They are virtually identical, save for three slight advantages the I1 has over the VS2 (No Fluorescence and Excellent polish, and slightly larger dimensions).

Now try to guess their prices.

The VS2? Listed on JamesAllen.com for $5,010.

The I1, which as I have shown isn’t simply a better value for your money spent, but is objectively speaking a better looking diamond?  $3,290.

The VS2 costs over 50% more than the I1!  And you know what you get in return for that $1720 extra you spent on the VS2?  A little black dot to always remind you of what a bad decision you made.

Figure 4: VS2 at 18x

Shape	Weight	Color	Clarity	Polish	Symmetry	Fluorescence	Measurements
Round	1.00	H	I1	EX	VG	None	6.38×6.45×3.97
Round	1.01	H	VS2	VG	VG	Medium Blue	6.36×6.40×3.99

To wrap things up, recall the pie analogy I mentioned earlier.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to take keep the Diamond Clarity slice nice and small (like the I1 from Figures 1 and 2) and instead increase the size of the Weight slice?  In our example here, you could easily upgrade to a 1.25ct diamond and you would still end up spending less than $5,010.

The Complete Diamond Stud Earrings Review

This article contains two main parts.  In Part I,  I will present general guidelines to be followed when buying diamond earrings in terms of the desired qualities (specific for studs) of diamond color, diamond clarity, and diamond cut.  In Part II, I will present the results of research I had performed to discover which online diamond vendor offers the highest quality diamond earrings (studs) for the best value.

Bottom Line Recommendation: Quality requirements for diamond stud earrings can be significantly relaxed when compared to diamonds to be set in engagemenet rings. This is due to the fact that the average distance at which they are viewed is notably larger than the distance at which engagement rings are viewed.   Additionally, due to the added viewing distance, many stones for engagement rings that aren’t considered eye-clean can be considered eye-clean for diamond studs.

If you want to “build your own” pair of studs by choosing stones online, you’ll need some help making sure the two stones match, and making sure you’re not spending too much on features that will go to waste.  Please don’t hesistate to contact me with any questions.  I’ll gladly look through inventory online and send you recommendations of specific stones.

If you want to buy already matched and set diamond earrings at a fixed price, then skip down to Part II of this article where I compare the diamond stud offerings of the four largest (and in my opinion, best) online diamond vendors: James Allen, Blue Nile, Abazias, and Mondera.

Part I – General Guidelines for Buying Diamond Earrings

Diamond stud earrings are the perfect gift.  Every woman needs them.  Every woman wants a pair.  They’re probably the most versatile piece of jewelry out there. She can wear them with anything, for any occasion.  They’re great for casual evenings, great for work, and great for formal occasions.

If you haven’t yet given your girlfriend, wife, or fiance a pair, you can always count on this simple gift making her very happy (and making you look like a King).  If  you have already given your girlfriend, wife, or fiance a pair of diamond studs, then you can always buy her a larger pair.

Here’s a general guideline of what to look for when buying studs online:

Color Quality – H-J is the right range for color.  Higher than this, and you won’t be able to appreciate the very high color from the normal distance from which you look at studs on someone’s ears.

Clarity Grade – In theory, you should be able to buy a pair of studs that are graded I1 clarity without a problem.  But unfortunately, since most online vendors sell their studs uncertified, it’s difficult to trust anyone selling something marked as I1.  Most of the time, these studs are a very low I1 or even I2, and most likely will have eye-visible inclusions.

If you are looking to buy large studs (2 carat total weight or more), then feel free to contact me to inquire about having me broker you a pair that I will choose myself from the Israel Diamond Bourse.  I guarantee what I choose will be clean to the naked eye and be a superior ideal cut.  I also guarantee I can beat almost any price you find online.

Otherwise, I recommend you buy online from my recommended vendors (see Recommendations at the bottom of this article).  Stick with their SI2 qualities.  In my report, I discovered that James Allen sells eye-clean diamonds in their SI2 quality whereas  Blue Nile, Mondera and Abazias do not.  Buying studs in VS2 quality is a waste of money.  The SI2s are clean to the naked eye, so what’s the point in upgrading to a VS2 if you get nothing out of the upgrade?

One final option is to use James Allen’s build your own diamond studs option.  With this option, you will only really benefit if you are buying a larger pair of studs.  Since the cost of GIA and AGS certification is relatively high,  paying for two certificates on a small pair of studs (1ct total weight and below) will add significantly to the price in percentage terms.  If you would like help choosing two great looking stones for studs (and make sure they match each other), then please feel free to contact me.

Cut Grade – Here as well, since the average distance from which you view studs on someone’s ears is quite far, you can be more relaxed about the cut quality.  Just stay away from extremes in terms of depth and table, and you will be fine.  A Good GIA Cut grade will be fine as long as the stone isn’t too deep (and therefore you loose too much spread on the face of the diamonds).

Part II – Review of Diamond Stud Earrings from the Four Best Diamond Stores Online

Recently I happened to notice that most of the major online diamond vendors sell their studs blindly – without certification.  From my experience selling to retailers like Blue Nile the small diamonds that end up in studs, I know the reason for this – generally, studs are a cheaper gift product and adding the cost of two certificates often knocks the product out of affordability.  While this is great for the consumer in that it keeps prices down – I realized that this also creates some major problems for the consumer as well.

1. How can the consumer trust what the vendor claims about the diamonds they are selling?
2. How can the consumer reliably compare prices across different vendors if no objective 3rd party can attest to the fact that they are comparing an equivalent product?
3. Customer reviews are great for giving the consumer confidence in a particular vendor, but how can the consumer compare customer service across different vendors?

Dan Inspecting Diamond Stud Earrings

That’s when I came up with the idea for the Complete Diamond Stud Earrings Review.  This report seeks to address the three issues just mentioned.  To accomplish this, a pair of studs from each of the four leading diamond vendors online (James Allen, Blue Nile, Abazias, and Mondera) were purchased and inspected.

Unfortunately, since I live in Israel, I was not able to do the evaluation myself, so in my place I hired a former colleague of mine from Leo Schachter, Dan P.  Dan has extensive experience in the diamond and jewelry industry having worked for some of the industry’s largest and best companies in New York for over 15 years.  We worked closely together on a number of projects for Leo Schachter, and so I am familiar with his experertise and professionalism on a very personal level.   I have the utmost respect for him and his opinions.

To accomplish this review, Dan ordered 1/2 carat total weight (1/4 carat diamond in each ear) round diamond stud earrings from each of the above mentioned vendors.  Each vendor has at least two different quality levels.  To keep things consistent across each vendor, we chose each vendor’s “SI” quality.  While on the phone with each vendor, he made sure to ask numerous questions to test the customer service representatives’ knowledge.  He evaluated each pair of studs, and then returned them to their respective vendor when finished.  He documented every step of the process: customer service, packaging, diamond quality, and ease of return.

The results of his hard work are presented below.  First I will present his findings vendor by vendor, followed by side-by-side comparisons of all of the vendors together.

A)  James Allen

Invoice From James Allen – Click to Enlarge

Close-Up of Studs from James Allen – Click to Enlarge

Customer Service – Dan found that James Allen’s customer service reps were the friendliest, most helpful, and most well educated of the four vendors reviewed.  One innovation of James Allen’s that Dan noted was particularly nice was that they would send him numerous very personalized emails from the same service rep.  This ensured that if he had any issue, he could address them to the same person who would always be familiar with his case.

Another positive about James Allen’s customer service is that they have extensive phone hours – they are open until 12 am EST – great for night owls, and great for customers on the West Coast.

Additionally, James Allen is the only vendor to offer moving 3D images of their studs so you can really get a feel for what they look like.  They offer this unique 3D view of all of their jewelry.

James Allen Packaging – Click to Enlarge

Packaging - James Allen’s packaging was really quite exquisite.  Upon opening the Fedex box,   you are faced with a very handsomely designed grey box with James Allen’s logo embossed on the cover (see below to the left).  When you open this grey box, you are faced with an elegant dark-wood polished jewelry box set squarely in the middle of a perfectly formed block of foam that matches the box perfectly (see below to the right).  All in all, this was far and away the best packaging of the four vendors.  If you want to impress  your wife or girlfriend, giving them a wrapped James Allen box will certainly do the trick.

James Allen Packaging – Click to Enlarge

Diamond Quality - James Allen offers platinum mounted diamond studs in a G/H Color VS2 Clarity quality level and they offer 18K White Gold mounted diamond stud earrings in an H/I Color SI1/SI2 Clarity quality level.  As mentioned earlier, for purposes of consistency, we ordered the SI quality from each vendor.

James Allen Packaging – Click to Enlarge

Dan found that James Allen’s claims of quality were right on target.  He described the pair of diamond studs from James Allen as being well-matched diamonds with a very high quality cut, with a very good SI2 clarity grade.  He estimated the color as being a high “I” color (I say “estimated” because it’s very hard to guage the color of a diamond in its setting).

Dan also noted that the quality and workmanship on the gold setting was very high.

Ease of Return – Unlike some of the other vendors, James Allen does not include a pre-prepared return mailing label in their package with their product.  Dan did mention, however, that James Allen’scustomer service was so helpful and the process so simple, that supplying a return label wasn’t really necessary.   Dan noted that their customer service rep expressed a polite regret for his decision to return the product, but it was not at all trying to make him feel guilty or trying to convince him to change his mind.

B)  Blue Nile

Invoice From Blue Nile – Click to Enlarge

Close-Up of Studs from Blue Nile – Click to Enlarge

Customer Service – Dan reported that the customer service representative (CSR) who took his order “was not very friendly and also not too helpful — he didn’t direct me to the premade stud section even though I told him what I wanted and at what cost. It was as if he was trying to upsell me, and I can’t stand that kind of pressure.”  On the other hand, Dan did note that while unfriendly and pushy, the
CSR who took his order was knowledgeable about diamonds and jewelry.  He answered questions (correctly) about diamond color,diamond clarity, metals, rhodium plating, ideal cuts, etc.

One positive note about Blue Nile’s customer service is that they have the most extensive phone hours of any of the vendors reviewed – they are open until 2 am EST – great for night owls, and even more convenient for customers on the West Coast.

Blue Nile Packaging – Click to Enlarge

Packaging -Blue Nile’s packaging was very standard – nothing special at all.  The blue jewelry box wasn’t nearly as elegant as James Allen’s darkwood box, the Blue Nile package included more materials, such as information about Blue Nile, jewelry insurance, and jewelry care along with the invoice.

Diamond Quality – Blue Nile offers platinum mounted diamond studs in what they claim is an H Color VS2 Clarity quality level and they offer 18K White Gold mounted diamond stud earrings in what they claim is an I Color SI2 Clarity quality level.  As mentioned earlier, for purposes of consistency, we ordered the SI quality from each vendor.

Upon inspection, Dan found that Blue Nile’s stated quality level was relatively on target.  He described the pair of diamond studs from Blue Nile as being well-matched. The SI2 in the Blue Nile studs, however, was notably stronger than the SI2 in the James Allen studs. Additionally, the cut on the Blue Nile studs was significantly worse than the cut quality on the James Allen studs. This makes sense, since the Blue Nile studs are only rated “Good” cut quality while the James Allen studs are rated “Ideal.” The huge difference in brilliance is readily evident in the pictures provided. The cheaper price for most sizes vs James Allen is definitely NOT worth the sizeable drop in brilliance.

Additionally, Dan noted that the culets on both stones from the Blue Nile pair had chipped culets.
Dan also noted that the workmanship and polish on the gold setting was very high.

Ease of Return – Dan noted that when he called to return the item, they were sorry for his need to return but were very helpful in instructing him on the return process which was very simple.  He also mentioned that the CSR who handled the return was very friendly.  To make things even easier, Blue Nile includes an adhesive self-addressed return mailing label on the actual invoice (see copy above on the left).  This shows a true concern for detail in making the customer’s experience as pleasant as possible.

C) Mondera

Invoice From Mondera – Click to Enlarge

Close-Up of Studs from Mondera – Click to Enlarge

Customer Service – Dan reported that the customer service representative (CSR) at Mondera who took his order was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.  In fact, without Dan having to ask for it, she immediately gave him 5% off the listed price.   Dan noted that he was pleasantly surprised by this as none of the other vendors had done anything similar.

Unlike the late night phone hours that Blue Nile and James Allen keep, Mondera only keeps their phones open until 7 pm EST.  This can pose a problem for those shoppers too busy at work during the day to bother with making an order.  Of course, you can always place an order online at any time of day.  But I know from experience that many customers just don’t feed comfortable making such a major purchase without speaking to someone first.

Mondera Packaging – Click to Enlarge

Packaging – According to Dan, Mondera’s packaging was perfectly average.

Diamond Quality – This is where Mondera’s marks start to take a turn for the worse.

Like Blue Nile and James Allen, Mondera has two quality levels.  A G/H Color VS2 Clarity in Platinum as their premium level and a G/H Color SI2 Clarity in Gold as their standard quality.  This is a slight deviation (at least according to their claims) from Blue Nile and James Allen, as they claim their color to be slightly higher on their standard quality (G/H versus H/I for James Allen and I+ for Blue Nile).

When Dan inquired with the CSR about what SI quality meant, the CSR informed Dan that “SI is really good quality and not eye visible.”  While this description is generally true, unfortunately, the goods delivered did not live up to the expecations.  According to Dan, the diamond stud earrings from Monderaclearly had I1 Clarity grades, and their inclusions were definitley visible to the naked eye.

Aside from the disapointment in diamond clarity, the stud earrings’ diamond cut wasn’t very good either.  Dan reported that the diamonds had no “life” and one of the stones’ culets was noticeably chipped.

The workmanship and polish on the settings, however, were quite nice.

Ease of Return – Like the others, Dan reported that the return process was simple.  Also, the CSR who handled his return was friendly and helpful.  They too mentioned they were sorry for his decision to return, but nothing overbearing.

D) Abazias

Invoice From Abazias – Click to Enlarge

Close-Up of Studs from Abazias – Click to Enlarge

Customer Service – Overall, it seems, the customer service atAbazias left a little to be desired.  Dan’s experience with them was less than stellar.

When Dan first contacted Abazias, he reached a customer service representative (CSR) who was not knowledgeable.  He was not able to answer any of Dan’s specific questions about the diamond stud earrings, both regarding diamond quality, and regarding the earring post styles.  The CSR told Dan he would call him back with answers, but he never did.

Nonetheless, Dan did try calling back, and the next CSR he received was able to answer his questions and was qutie friendly.

Abazias Packaging – Click to Enlarge

As with Mondera, Abazias’ live phone support hours leave what to be desired.  They close their lines at 6pm EST – making it difficult for busy people on the East Cost to order by phone, and making it virtually impossible for people on the West Cost to order by phone.

Packaging – According to Dan, packaging was very poor, as the earring box was placed in an unmarked envelope with no accompanying paperwork. When he called to inquire about this, they said they never put invoices in their boxes for security reasons, which is odd because the other three vendors didn’t have such a problem.

Diamond Quality – Like the other vendors, Abazias has two quality levels.  Unlike the other vendors, however, their G/H color SI2-SI3 clarity quality is their premium quality.  They also sell a lower quality J/K color I1 clarity as their standard quality.  Again, for consistency’s sake, we reviewed the SI quality.

When Dan asked the CSR about what SI2/SI3 quality meant, the CSR informed Dan that their SI2/SI3 is “usually eye-clean.”  According to Dan, however, the diamond stud earrings from Abazias were obvious I1s, and their inclusions were definitley visible to the naked eye.  The cut on the diamonds was not good, and the two stones were not matched well either.  Dan reported that one of the two stones was a “fish-eye” (industry term for a too-shallow round stone that has no life and looks like a dark black circle when viewed face-up).

Additionally, workmanship and polish on the settings were not great, as it looked like a small piece of gold was missing under one of the prongs.

Ease of Return – Like the others, Dan reported that the return process was simple.  Also, the CSR who handled his return was friendly.

Brief History of Cut Diamonds

Diamonds, known for over 3000 years, were probably first found in India as loose stones associated with the sand and gravel of riverbeds (alluvial deposits). For centuries they were thought to posses magical powers, no doubt because of their hardness and luster, and were kept, uncut, as sacred objects or important treasures of state by the religious and political leaders of the day. Being regarded as talismans, it was thought that they would lose their powers if they were altered in any way.
It wasn't until the 11th century that diamonds were first worn, in their uncut form, as adornments. However, with the use of diamonds in jewelry, sometime in the 13th century it became known that a diamond's appearance could be enhanced by grinding and polishing [later by cleavage (below)] along the four octahedral faces (below) of the rough crystal. This was achieved by polishing with diamond dust at angles varying slightly from those of the original octahedral faces to form a point cut (below). (It had been discovered early on that the planes parallel to these faces are the hardest and can't be polished.) Point cuts were seen from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance period. 

The table was the first major facet to be fashioned on a diamond crystal. Thus, thetable-cut (below) diamond was formed by grinding down the top octahedral point to form a square facet using a recently discovered technique called bruting. This table facet was then finished off by polishing with diamond powder. (Bruting is the process where a diamond or diamond chip is used to wear away a portion of another diamond crystal. This method is still applied in modern cutting to form the rounded shapes of the girdles and pavilions of various shaped stones.) 

Later, table-cut diamonds were further modified by adding a smaller facet to the lower octahedral point to form a culet at the bottom of the stone. These culets were often large, as much as half the size of the table, and designed to reflect light and add brightness to the diamond. (We now know that the planes of the table and culet are oriented in one of the three cubic planes of the diamond rough, which are called the sawing directions, and are known to be the softest in the crystal.) 

With time, many of the older point-cut stones were converted to table cuts because of their popularity. Subsequently, table cuts themselves were further modified by adding eight narrow facets, one to each edge of the table and pavilion, in order to improve the brilliance of the stone.


A major advance in faceting came about with the introduction of the polishing wheel, or scaife, in the middle of the 14th century. This led the way for manufacturing brighter diamonds with increased facet pattern complexity. In this same era the rose cut(below) appeared. Its shape is basically flat and usually circular, with a faceted, domed top and plain bottom. This cut was well suited to the use of diamond fragments and the thinner forms of diamond rough called macles and flats. The major sources of this cut, which had many variations, were the diamond centers of Amsterdam and Antwerp, and were common until the early 1900's. 

By the mid-seventeenth century the old single cut (below) emerged. This design was formed by producing a more rounded overall shape with an octagonal-shaped table and eight facets on each the crown and pavilion. This cut eventually evolved into the brilliant cut with the complete rounding of the girdle and the application of additional facets to the crown and pavilion. Today round diamonds of less than 0.20ct. (used largely as accent stones in jewelry), called melee, are frequently cut as single cuts because smaller stones require fewer facets. 


The term "brilliant-cut" was coined at the end of the 17th century and was represented by several forms of faceted diamonds based on the shape of the commonly found octahedral form of the rough crystal. These cuts were round, rounded or cushion-shaped in girdle outline. During the early 18th century, Brazil, the new center of world diamond production, gave rise to the cushion-shaped old-mine cut (below), a forerunner of the modern brilliant cut having 33 crown and 25 pavilion facets, the same 58 facets as today's round brilliants. These cuts are still seen in some older estate pieces. 

With the 19th century came the rounded cuts like the old European cut (OEC, below) and the English round cut (not shown), both of which also have a total of 58 facets of the same type as today's round brilliants. Old-mine and old European cuts are deep-cut with small tables and relatively large culets, whereas the English round cut has a shallower crown and pavilion and larger table. Theses cuts are still commonly seen in estate jewelry of that era.



The early modern Tolkowsky brilliant cut (below) emerged with Marcel Tolkowsky's published thesis entitled, "Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond", in 1919. This was a theoretical work describing the best proportions of a round brilliant diamond which would provide a balanced return of light (brilliance) and dispersion. As a result, many cutters were led to fashion many of the larger, high quality goods in the range of these proportions. These proportions are also sometimes called the "American Ideal Cut", even though the work originated in Europe. Subsequently, the American Gem Society adapted proportional ranges for their "Ideal" (zero, 0, best) cut grade, based on this work and they are still used today. (For a detailed description of the meaning of what is an Ideal Cut round brilliant diamond, please read our Free Article on this subject.) 


Today's modern round brilliant (below) cut diamond, produced largely since World War II, differs in several ways from the Tolkowsky cut. The Tolkowsky brilliant had a larger culet, visible through the table, whereas today's round brilliant has either no culet, or a very small or small culet. Also, the table size range is larger in today's round cuts (about 53-57%, as a % of the stone's average diameter), but still include Tolkowsky's calculations which called for a 53% table. Finally, the lower girdle facets are now cut much deeper (about 75%) down the pavilion compared to earlier patterns, where they were cut to only about 1/3 of the pavilion depth. 



CUT IS KING!Now that you have a little insight into the history of diamond cuts, remember that it is largely the quality of the cut, which releases the beauty of the diamond to your eyes. Thus, the most important guideline to remember when selecting any diamond is, "Find the stone with the best cut quality you can afford." In short, "CUT IS KING!", for it really doesn't matter if you have chosen a stone with D color and Flawless clarity, if it is not well proportioned, you will forever have a dull, lifeless looking diamond! On the other hand, if you select a diamond which appears colorless to your eye (usually D to I color) and whose inclusions you can't see with the naked eye (usually Fl to SI1 and sometimes SI2) and then go for the best cut quality you can afford, you will have a bright and lively diamond forever!For the round brilliant, there are ranges of proportion and grades of finish (polish and symmetry) which are widely recognized as "Ideal" by the trade and are part of the grading system of the American Gem Society (AGS). These criteria can also be applied to diamonds graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which doesn't offer a cut grade in their report. These criteria require that GIA-graded diamonds have polish and symmetry grades which are "excellent", and that the proportions fall within the AGS Ideal (or zero) ranges as measured by a proportion analyzer called a Sarin instrument. It is important to make sure that you have this information before selecting a diamond.
Dutton's Diamonds specializes in Ideal cut AGS0 (sometimes erroneously called AGS triple zeros) and GIA Ex/Ex branded and unbranded round brilliant diamonds (many with Sarin reports). These diamonds are cut to superior proportions and finish, giving you the best in brilliance, dispersion andscintillation. And as a final bonus, many also show the coveted Hearts & Arrows pattern, which is the mark of outstanding cut symmetry! 

Fancy Shapes

The round brilliant cut diamond is by far the most popular shape, and accounts for about 3 out of 4 diamonds purchased today. The modern ideal proportions for the round brilliant cut diamond (sometimes called the American Ideal Cut) arose from a mathematical thesis written by Marcel Tolkowsky and published in 1919 entitled, "Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond". Its 58-faceted design (33 crown and 25 pavilion facets) produces the greatest brilliance, dispersion and scintillation among all the major shapes. However, there are several other shapes, called fancy shapes or fancy cuts, which with the exception of the emerald cut, are also brilliant cut or modifications thereof. They are frequently chosen as the center stones in rings and other jewelry (shown below in their face-up views).  There are basically three types of cutting patterns, the brilliant cut, the step cut and the mixed cut (a combination of brilliant and step cuts). Sometimes diamonds with modified cuts are described both as to shape and faceting pattern in order to minimize confusion. For example, an oval shaped stone, which has a brilliant cut crown and a step cut pavilion, might be referred to as a "modified oval" or an "oval mixed cut". Some of the fancy shapes are better suited for retaining the maximum weight of the more flat forms of diamond rough called macles and flats, and many are also cut from the less perfectly shaped octahedral and dodecahedral crystals. There are many other shapes (trilliant, bagette, etc.) and many branded cutting patterns which occupy specialized niches and more limited market positions, but we will not cover them here. Factors important in selecting a fancy shaped diamond include all of the 4C's as they apply to the round shape. However, additional considerations come into play when considering fancy shapes such as the overall appearance of the outline of the girdle of the stone, the "bow tie" effect and the length-to-width ratio. Finally, one may ask, how does shape affect price? So here we will consider each shape separately and the factors which are important in how they impact beauty and price. Currently there is no widely accepted "ideal" range of proportions for the fancy shaped diamonds. However, these may be developed in the future because it is known that the American Gem Society is working on this issue (see www.gemappraisers.com for details. This is probably the best classification of cut proportions in fancy shapes currently available.) When looking at the general appearance of fancy cut diamonds, make sure that the stone is appealing to your eye and that it is bilaterally symmetrical. In other words, if you draw an imaginary line down its center length or across its width (excluding heart and pear in the latter case), one half of the stones should be shaped exactly as the other half. Also look at the shape of the pavilion, especially on emerald cuts, from all angles to make sure it isn't too deep and doesn't bulge excessively, an indication of extra weight retention and perhaps a reduction in light return (brilliance). In many fancy shaped diamonds (marquise, pear, oval, emerald and heart shapes) the pavilion facets do not culminate at a point at the tip of the pavilion, but rather form an edge, called the "keel line". However, for grading purposes this is still referred to as the culet and should be judged accordingly.Girdle width will vary between greater extremes on some fancy shapes compared to the round brilliant. These include the marquise, pear and heart, where the girdle tends to be thick or extremely thick at the tips of the stone and in the cleft of the heart-shaped cut. Also, the princess cut, which has square corners, may have an extremely thin girdle in these areas. These situations are frequently encountered with fancy shapes, and attention needs to be paid to the potential problems of excessive weight vs. danger of cracking or chipping in diamonds with extremely thick or extremely thin girdles, respectively. The bow tie effect, observed with the naked eye, is frequently found in marquise, oval, pear and some heart- shaped diamonds, and is considered to be a negative factor if prominent. It arises from the variations in the pavilion facet angles required in cutting stones which are longer than they are wide. The bow tie looks like two dark triangular shapes joined at the point in the center of the stone (below), and is thought to be the result of light leaking from the pavilion. Caused sometimes by an overly deep pavilion, in a well-cut diamond its appearance should be minimal or absent and certainly not a distraction.  Table measurements used in calculating table size are made at the point of their greatest width, and for the pear and heart shape this is not in the center of the stone, but is at the greatest overall width of the stone. This is the same line along which the width of the diamond should be measured in calculating the length-to-width ratio. For the heart shape, the length of the stone is measured in a vertical line, centered over the cleft, as the distance from the top of the shoulders to the tip. SHAPES ROUND - Information for the round brilliant has been described on this site in detail under the topics of the 4C's. The round brilliant diamond, being by far the most popular diamond shape is, because of market forces, the most expensive. Rounds make up the vast majority of diamonds found in engagement rings, and are also popular as stud earrings and pendants. You just can't go wrong with a round!MARQUISE - The marquise (pronounced "mar-KEYS", not "mar-KEY") is usually cut as an adaptation of the 58-facet standard brilliant, with the crown having 33 facets and the pavilion 25 facets of the same type as the round brilliant. However, the pavilion can be cut with either 4, 6 or 8 pavilion mains facets, depending upon the stone's girdle outline. These modifications are also seen in the pavilion cuts for the pear, oval and heart shaped diamonds. The crown cut is also sometimes modified in the marquise to form what is called a "French tip", where the bezel facet at the point of the stone is eliminated. As an example for comparison, below is a diagram showing what an imaginary hybrid-cut marquise would look like where the upper half of the stone is cut as a French tip and the lower half is cut as a standard brilliant. Note how the elimination of the bezel facet at the point of the stone requires that the adjoining bezel facets become "stretched" to accommodate the space left. French tips are also sometimes cut in pear and heart shaped diamonds.  The length-to-width ratio is important to a stone's appearance, and for the marquise shape the preferred range is 1.75-2.25: 1.00. Marquise diamonds frequently show a bow tie, so try to find a stone in which this is minimal or absent. This shape of diamond in a ring accentuates the length of the fingers. As a % of the diamond's width, the better cut marquise will have table % in the range of 53-63% and total depth % (crown+girdle+pavilion) of about 58-65%. The cost of a 1ct., D, IF marquise is about 20% less than that of an identical round diamond. For a 1ct., G, VS2 stone, the marquise cut is only about 7% cheaper than the same round diamond. PEAR - The pear shape, like the marquise, usually has the 58 facet brilliant pattern, but can also be cut with different numbers of pavilion mains of 8,7,6 or 4 facets. In a pear, look for a well-shaped head and even shoulders with an optimal length-to-width range of 1.50-1.75:1.00. This shape in a ring will make the fingers appear longer. Pear-shaped diamonds work equally well as pendants and are exceptional as drop earrings. Ranges for the well cut pears for table % and total depth % are about 53-63% and 58-65%, respectively. The relative cost of a 1ct., D, IF pear shaped diamond is roughly 25% less than an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS2 pear is only 20% less than the cost of an identical round. OVAL - The oval, as with the above examples, is seen most frequently cut in the standard 58 facet brilliant pattern, but again can have a varying number of pavilion mains facets ranging from 4, 6 or 8. For ovals, look for even, well-rounded ends with a full body having an optimal length-to-width range of 1.33-1.66: 1.00. This shape of stone in a ring accents finger length, and also works nicely as stud earrings. Higher cut quality ovals, as with the marquise and pear, have table %'s of about 53- 63% and total depth %'s of 58-65%. The relative cost of an oval diamond of 1ct., D color and IF clarity is roughly 25% less than an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS2 oval is only 20% less than the cost of an identical round. RADIANT - The radiant cut is a patented name and cut called a cut-cornered, square/rectangular (depending on the overall shape) modified brilliant on GIA grading reports. It has a total of 70 facets, there being 25 crown, 8 girdle and 37 pavilion facets. The truncated corners may aid in avoiding or minimizing possible chipping problems posed by extremely thin girdle widths in these areas of the stone. Generally, a ring with a square cut radiant tends to shorten the appearance of the longer fingered hand. Radiants of higher cut quality will have table %'s of about 59-69% and total depth %'s ranging from about 59-69%. Deep pavilions are often seen on many radiants and princess cuts and contribute to the increased total depth % seen in these stones. However, this extra depth is often necessary to bring out the maximum brilliance in the stone. The comparative cost of a 1ct., D, IF radiant diamond is roughly 33% less than an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS2 radiant is only about 20% less than the cost of an identical round. PRINCESS - The princess cut is called a square/rectangular modified brilliant in GIA grading reports. It may have either 50 facets (21 crown, 4 girdle, 25 pavilion) or 58 facets (21 crown, 4 girdle, 33 pavilion), depending on how the pavilion is cut. This cut of diamond is frequently a square shape and therefore shortens the appearance of the longer fingered hand. The princess cut has sharp, squared-off corners, and if the girdle is extremely thin in these areas, chipping or cracking may occur more easily. Princess shapes of high cut quality usually have a table % in the range of roughly 60-75% and a total depth % of about 65-80%. As with the radiant, the cost of a 1ct., D, IF princess diamond is roughly 33% less than that of an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS2 princess is only about 20% less than the cost of an identical round. EMERALD - The emerald cut is not a brilliant cut, but is called a step cut. Step cuts are comprised of larger, planar facets which act like mirrors. The emerald cut has 58 facets, with 25 crown, 8 girdle and 25 pavilion. Because of the angle, size and shape of the facets, the emerald cut shows less brilliance and fire (dispersion) than the other brilliant and modified brilliant cut diamonds. However, the emerald cut stone reveals a classic and aristocratic elegance and beauty not seen in other cuts. Because of the open and large, plate-like nature of the facets, it is highly recommended that you consider staying at higher color (D-G) and clarity (IF-VS2) grades than you might with a brilliant cut stone because they are more likely to become visible at lower grades. Also, check to make sure that all the facet edges appear parallel in the face-up position. If they aren't, it can be pretty obvious at times. The emerald cut offers a touch of regal elegance as the center stone in a ring, and the most attractive proportions are a length-to-width ratio range of 1.50-1.75:1.00. However, some prefer a more square look with a ratio in the range of 1.30:1.00. Obviously, the more square the shape, the more it compliments the longer-fingered hand, and the more rectangular, the better suited it is to the shorter-fingered hand. The better emerald cut diamonds, like radiants, will have table %'s of about 59-69% and total depth %'s ranging from about 59-69%. Like both the radiant and princess, the cost of a 1ct., D, IF emerald cut diamond is roughly 33% less than that of an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS2 emerald is only about 20% less than the cost of an identical round. HEART - The heart shape is a brilliant cut, which can also be modified so that the number of pavilion mains may be 6, 7 or 8. In a heart cut it is important to look for a perfectly symmetrical appearance where the lobes (top arches) are of even height and breadth, and the overall shape pleasing. The better cut heart shapes will have a length-to-width ratio of just about 1.00:1.00, with a little variation from about 0.98:1.00 to 1.02:1.00. This shape is seen frequently in pendants, but is suitable for most any purpose. The well-cut heart shaped diamonds will have a table % in the 53-63% range, and a total depth of about 58-65%. Roughly comparable with the pear and oval shapes, the relative cost of a 1ct., D, IF, heart shaped diamond is approximately 25% less than an identical round stone, but a 1ct., G, VS heart is only about 20% less than the cost of an identical round diamond.