How Do You Choose a Diamond with the Most Sparkle?

Cut is the quality factor that most affects a diamond’s sparkle. But diamond shape is often mistaken for diamond’s cut. Do you know the difference between the two?

A diamond’s shape describes the general outline of a diamond: round, oval, pear, heart shaped etc. Diamond cut refers to a diamond’s facet arrangement.

One of the most common facet arrangements is the round brilliant cut, which typically consists of 57 or 58 facets. It is a timeless and versatile shape with worldwide appeal. Remember, the higher a diamond’s cut quality – the more likely it will deliver its promised sparkle.

When looking at a round brilliant diamond’s cut quality, the overall face-up appearance will be most affected by its weight ratio, durability, symmetry, and polish. These proportions evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects such as a diamond’s brightness (white light reflected from a diamond), fire (the scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow), and scintillation (the sparkle a diamond produces).

Ask for a diamond grading report when shopping for your next jewelry piece. As the creator of the 4Cs of diamond quality, GIA is committed to providing unbiased diamond grading reports that include information specific to your diamond.

Visit 4Cs.GIA.edu to learn more about diamond cut and the other 4Cs quality factors: clarity, color, and carat weight.