Diamond cut is possibly the most most important of the four Cs. This makes it very essential to understand how this quality and how it affects the properties and values of a diamond.

A diamond gets its brilliance from its cut. The cut determines how a diamond reflects light and this in turn leads to the brilliance that makes a diamond valuable.

Most gemologists are in agreement that the best cut diamonds are those that follow a set of formulae calculated to maximize brilliance. These formulae can be seen in a diamond's proportions, most importantly how the depth compares to the diameter, and how the diameter of the table compares to the diameter of the diamond.

The AGS, one of the most reputed diamond labs in the world has developed a table which they believe offers the "ideal" proportions of a diamond.

Since the cut of a diamond is so important, many grading methods have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a particular diamond.

In general, these grades are Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good and Fair.

Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.

Table : This is the large, flat top facet of a diamond.

Crown : The upper portion of a cut gemstone, above the girdle.

Girdle : The narrow rim of a diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. It is the largest diameter to any part of the stone

Pavilion: The lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. This is sometimes referred to as the base.

Culet : The tiny facet on the pointed bottom of the pavilion, which is the portion of a cut gem below the girdle.

Depth : The height of a gemstone, from the culet to the table.

Selecting the grade of cut is really a matter of choice. it is important to understand the grades before you decide.

Grades range from Ideal to Poor.

Ideal

Ideal cut diamonds are considered the finest by people in the diamond industry. The ideal cut diamond is cut so as to maximise brilliance. The typically smaller table sizes of these diamonds have the added benefit of creating a great deal of dispersion or 'fire' as well. Ideal quality diamonds are truly for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy. Ideal cut diamonds are more expensive. This category applies only to round diamonds.

Premium

Premium Diamonds have a make which is considered among the finest. In the case of round diamonds, many of these diamonds have cuts that are the equal of any Ideal Cut diamond, though they often can be purchased at slightly lower prices than AGS Ideal Cuts. They are intended to provide maximum brilliance and fire. They are truly for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest things that money can buy.

Very Good

Diamonds that are described as Very Good are of a excellent make. They reflect most of the light that enters them, creating a good deal of brilliance. With these diamonds, the cutters have chosen to stray slightly from the preferred diamond proportions in order to create a larger diamond. The result is that these diamonds fall slightly outside of some customers' preferences in terms of, for example, table size or girdle width, though, in many cases many of the parameters of diamonds in this range will overlap with certain parameters of diamonds in the Ideal or Premium ranges. Generally, the price of these diamonds in slightly below that of Premium cuts.

Good

Diamonds that are described as Good reflect much of the light that enters them. Their proportions fall outside of the preferred range because the cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller Premium quality diamond. Diamonds in this range offer an excellent cost-savings to customers who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality or beauty

Poor

A diamond described by Mondera as poor will reflect only a small proportion of the light that enters it. Typically these diamonds have been cut to maximize the carat weight over most other considerations. We do not recommend this type of cut and to ensure that our customers enjoy only fine, classic jewelry, Mondera does not offer diamonds that have been graded fair to poor.