“Light” Performance of Diamonds

What does the term light performance mean?  In the gem trade, it is used to describe how well a polished diamond will return light to the viewer. There are three light properties which are described in relation to light performance: brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

Brilliance refers to the white light reflections from the external and internal facet surfaces.

Fire refers to the spectral colors which are produced as a result of the diamond dispersing the white light.

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What Does the SHAPE of the Diamond Mean?

Baguette Diamond Cut

Baguette

Princess Diamond Cut

Princess

At the beginning, diamonds are rough stones.   They must be cut and polished to exhibit the characteristic fire and brilliance that diamond gemstones are known for.  Diamonds are cut into a variety of shapes that are generally designed to accentuate these features.

Cushion Diamond Cut

Cushion

Diamonds which are not cut into a round brilliant shape are known as “fancy cuts.”  Popular fancy cuts include the baguette, marquise, princess, emerald, heart, briolette, oval, and pear cuts.  Newer cuts that have been introduced into the jewelry industry are the cushion, radiant, and Asscher cuts.  Many fancy-colored diamonds are now being cut according to these new styles.  

Marquise Diamond Cut

Marquise

Pear Diamond Cut

Pear

Generally speaking, these “fancy cuts” are not held to the same strict standards as Tolkowsky-derived round brilliants and there are less specific mathematical guidelines of angles which determine a well-cut stone.  

Cuts are influenced heavily by fashion.  For example, the baguette cut (which accentuates a diamond’s luster and downplays its fire) was all the rage during the Art Deco period.  

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Clarity of a Diamond is Important

Clarity is one of the four Cs that determines a diamond’s value.  [NOTE: Diamonds are graded and certified based on the four Cs:  carat, cut, color, and clarity.] 

Clarity is a measure of internal defects of a diamond called inclusions.   Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear whitish or cloudy. The number, size, color, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and other organizations have developed systems to grade clarity, which are based on those inclusions which are visible to a trained professional when a diamond is viewed under 10x magnification.

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