Radiant Diamond

Like the Princess Cut, the Radiant cut diamond is also a square cut. Unlike the princess cut, however, the radiant cut diamond is round faced and has rounded corners, making the radiant cut diamond reflect and refract light in many more directions than the princess.

The radiant cut diamond was perfected in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, who sought to combine the reflectiveness of the round brilliant with the step cut of the emerald. The radiant cut diamond, therefore, has the advantages of maintaining more of the diamond rough without having to lop off the whole bottom, plus the brilliance and fire of a round cut. Radiant cut diamondscan also be either rectangular or square, depending entirely on the personal preferences of the purchaser. Neither shape adversely affects the radiant cut diamond’s grading, which is one of the advantages of the cut and exactly what Grossbard had in mind when he designed it.

The fire of a properly cut radiant cut diamond is intense to the point that it catches the peripheral vision of anyone who comes close to its wearer. However, despite the advantages of the radiant cut diamond, there is, like the princess cut, a danger in purchasing one. The radiant cut diamond is so complicated and multifaceted that nearly all major gemological institutes refuse to give it a grading. This leaves the actual grading up to the people who sell the diamond, making it difficult for any third party to independently grade the cut of a radiant cut diamond.

The most important characteristic of a properly cut radiant cut diamond, however, is visible to the naked eye. The more the radiant cut diamond sparkles and the more fire the diamond has, the more successful the cutter was in achieving the objective of conspicuousness. Of course, one cannot simply randomly hack away at a diamond and hope it becomes sparkly. Symmetry and balance are also crucial, though this can be objectively measured, if only excruciatingly.

The round brilliant cut has certain proportions that are quickly recognizable and graded according to whatever proportions are considered ideal. The radiant cut diamond, however, has to be thoroughly examined for symmetry in every crevice to make sure that its cut is ideal. This would take way too long for your average gemological institute staff, where time is money and such excruciating activity cannot reasonably be done without massive government bailouts.

Princess Cut Diamond

Princess cut diamonds are a relatively new shape in the world of diamond cutting, having been created only the 1960’s. Theprincess cut diamond is very similar to the classic round brilliant shape we all think about when we think of a diamond, except the princess cut diamond does not have a pavillion – that part of a round brilliant that is lopped off into a cone shape below the head. Instead, the princess cut diamond is completely square, retaining 80% of the original diamond rough instead of the round brilliant’s 50%. The similarity in shape and the advantage of maintaining more of the original stone make the princess diamond cut the second most popular of all cuts.

Despite its maintaining 80% of its original carat weight as  a rough diamond, the princess cut diamond is still slightly less expensive than the round brilliant, mostly because it is less popular and the round brilliant shape has penetrated cultural consciousness as the “proper” cut for a diamond.

However, if you’re looking for a princess cut diamond, there is one crucial thing you have to watch out for. Whereas the round brilliant cut diamond has universally recognized standards on grading, the princess cut diamond does not, meaning don’t be fooled if someone claims that a certain princess cut diamond is ideal instead of excellent or good. This is actually a contentious subject in the diamond cutting world, as the AGSL and the EGL-USA do give gradings for princess cut diamonds, but the GIA has been stubborn in maintaining that there is not enough consensus in the industry to establish cut gradings. Of course, any argument over legitimacy is an argument over numbers and power. Whoever wins the most people for his side will determine if princess cut diamonds will have a recognized grading. For now, I would suggest simply seeing which diamond sparkles more, since that is essentially what a cut is designed to do. If one sparkles more than another of the same carat weight, clarity, and color, then it would make sense to say that the cut on that princess cut diamond is better. Don’cha think?

The term “princess cut diamond” was actually made popular by the Israeli diamond industry giants Ygal Perlman, Betzalel Ambar, and Israel Itzkowitz back in the late 70’s.

Emerald Cut Diamond

Emerald cut diamonds are a classic example of a step cut. The emerald cut was originally conceived for emeralds rather than diamonds because the emerald stone is comparatively brittle and the step cut is the safest way to shape the stone without fracturing it. Later, it was transposed to emerald cut diamonds in an attempt to accentuate the clarity of a diamond rather than increase it’s refraction, fire, and brilliance. The emerald cut diamond is essentially a statement of the clarity of the stone by the wearer, since emerald cut diamonds allow the observer to see right through the stone. Though the fire of the round brilliant diamond can be attractive, they can also hide imperfections that the emerald cut diamond cannot.

In the glitzy world we live in, emerald cut diamonds are less in vogue than the round brilliant or the radiant cut diamond, and the plus side is that due to this, emerald cut diamonds are generally less expensive than other cuts, all other things being equal. This has nothing at all to do with the quality of the stone, but to demand for sparkliness, if there is such a word.

As for the shape of emerald cut diamonds themselves, they take the form of a rectangle with lopped off corners in order to decrease the amount of stress points in the diamond and to make it more structurally stable. The step cut gives a look of stairs running from the center of the emerald cut diamond until the edge, each step being transparent right to the other side of the stone. This means that if there are any imperfections, they are immediately visible. This is why emerald cut diamondsare gutsy, and must only be executed on the most perfect stones.

Emerald cut diamonds are far more common among antique jewelry dealers and show off a rather Victorianesque ambiance. Their golden age was the Art Deco period, from around 1925 until 1940. Similar cuts to the emerald cut diamondare the asscher cut, which is a square emerald cut, and the trilliant cut, which is a triangular shaped emerald cut diamond.

So if you feel like standing out and not just sporting another of the same popular cut, you may want to think seriously about owning an emerald cut diamond. Economical and unique, they’re not your everyday diamond.

Cushion Cut Diamond

Cushion cut diamonds are quite rare when it comes to cuts. They are most similar to the radiant cut, but the cushion cut diamond has more rounded corners, similar to a pillow. No wonder cushion cut diamonds were originally called pillow cuts. Cushion cut diamonds are slightly less brilliant and fiery than round brilliant cut diamonds, but they are more light dispersive, meaning they serve as a mini prism that splits light into its 7 constitutive colors. So if you like rainbows, thecushion cut diamond is for you.

Cushion cut diamonds were the most popular cut for most of the 19th century, from 1830 until the turn of the 20th century.  Now they are less in demand due to the brilliance of the now ubiquitous round brilliant. They can come in any shape between rectangular and perfectly square, depending entirely on personal taste. The cushion cut diamond is another example of a cut that does not have rigid standards as to its grade, though retailers set their own rubric and pricing based on their own preferences. The good part about this is that the consumer can pick whatever cushion cut diamond he likes best, regardless of price.

Similar to round brilliants, cushion cut diamonds also end in a sharp point at the pavilion, but their girdle is not as abrupt and sharp as the round brilliant. It’s more gradual in its decent to the apex on the bottom.

Many cushion cut diamonds have a what is called a culet, which acts as a window through the diamond and reflects whatever color is behind it. This is not so of a round brilliant, whose pavilion is much sharper and abrupt than that of acushion cut diamond. There are many ways to cut the face of the diamond, though what makes it a cushion cut diamondare its rounded corners and resemblance to a pillow.

For fancy colored diamonds specifically, this cut is the most popular since it most evenly distributes the diamond’s color. In fact, the world’s most famous diamond, the deep blue Hope Diamond, was originally described as having a cut of  “cushion antique brilliant with a faceted girdle and extra facets on the pavilion.” The Hope Diamond is, of course, centuries old, back when cushion cut diamonds were much more popular than they are now. If people were more conscious of the Hope Diamond’s cut, perhaps cushion cut diamonds would rocket back into style.