Diamonds are special. And they have increased in popularity ever since man learned
to put facets on them bringing out their incredible ability to sparkle. It is true
that diamonds are extremely rare and precious. And it is true that diamonds are
the hardest known natural substance, giving them durability for the ages. But it
is their ability to dazzle the eye with brilliance and fire that makes diamonds
the ultimate gemstone.
And while the intrinsic properties of color, clarity and carat weight influence
the value of a diamond, it is the craftsmanship of man that determines how beautiful
a diamond will be and how much it will sparkle and shine. Bringing out the full
potential for light performance of a raw diamond is a combination of science, experience,
skill and patience. Ideal cut diamonds are those which have been cut to exacting
proportions and polished with utmost attention to detail. It is far more costly
to cut a diamond to ideal specifications. More time is required of the most skilled
diamond cutters, and more of the rough material must be sacrificed in order to produce
ideal cut diamonds.
How can you tell the difference between ideal cut diamonds and ordinary diamonds?
While well-cut diamonds can be very pretty, a person desiring the very best in cut
quality will look for lab certified diamonds with a cut grade of “Ideal”. The premier
laboratory doing comprehensive cut quality analysis is the American Gem Society
Laboratory (AGSL). Many diamond shoppers and connoisseurs insist on AGSL reports
to be assured that the diamond is performing at the very top of the scale in terms
of brilliance, fire and scintillation.
Besides maximizing light performance, ideal cut diamonds have two other advantages
that are often overlooked. First, by returning more light to the eye than normal
cuts, ideal cut diamonds appear larger. In addition, by virtue of reflecting and
refracting so much of the ambient light back to the eye and masking body color,
ideal cut diamonds also appear whiter than ordinary cuts.
With the greater sparkle, better color and larger apparent size of ideal cut diamonds,
why aren’t all diamonds cut to ideal proportions? The answer is in the economics
of the diamond market. Certain sizes sell for premiums. A 1.00 carat diamond sells
for much more than a diamond of .95ct. Diamond cutters are forced to look at the
market particulars in planning each rough diamond they cut. Taking liberties with
the proportions of the finished diamond will result in more weight retained from
the rough. Certain sizes in certain colors and clarities will bring far more money
on the market, even if not cut to ideal proportions, than slightly smaller ideal
cut diamonds. While this is still a prevalent factor today, the diamond market has
changed significantly over the last 10-15 years as more and more consumers understand
the advantages of top quality cutting.
The internet has been a driving force in this change as consumers are educating
themselves on diamond cut. Manufacturers are responding to this new demand by improving
cutting methods and making certain sacrifices in order to provide ideal cut diamonds
to a growing number of astute diamond shoppers.
As a pioneer and specialist in ideal cut diamonds, Whiteflash has been at the forefront
of this movement. Our globally recognized
A CUT ABOVE® comprises a category of “Super Ideal” diamonds that have been
certified by AGSL as Ideal with Platinum certificates, and have passed additional
testing by the Whiteflash diamond review team. Indeed, even our second category
-
Expert Selection - contains
round and princess cut diamonds with AGS Ideal certificates and GIA Triple Excellent
(The highest grade given by GIA for cut quality).