Ideal Cut Diamonds

A diamond's make refers to how the diamond is cut and faceted. Although carat, clarity, color, and cut determine the rarity and value of a diamond it is the make which determines the diamond's beauty.

When judging a diamond it is important to consider the proportion, symmetry, and polish of a diamond and how it affects the beauty of the diamond rather than strictly focusing on the perfect color or clarity.

The Proportion of a diamond determines the brilliance, fire and scintillation of the diamond (how light passes through the diamond). A diamond whose proportions are too deep or too shallow allows light to bleed out of the bottom of the diamond which lessens the amount of light that is reflected back to the eye.

When the facets of a diamond are well balanced and aligned, the stone has symmetry, which is critical to creating optimal brilliance and scintillation. Errors in symmetry include facets that are not properly aligned, improperly shaped facets, or an off-center table.

The Polish of a diamond refers to the degree of "polishing lines" that appear on the surface of a finished diamond with or without the use of 10x magnification. Polish influences how well light is able to pass through a diamond and is very important when determining a diamond's brilliance. A well-polished diamond produces undistorted brilliance and fire. If the polish is poor, even a well-proportioned, symmetrical diamond can look dull.

Light and Its Effect on a Diamond

A. Reflection
A ray of light hits the diamond's surface. Some of the light enters, and part of the light reflects back. The immediate reflection is the light given off by the crown angles.

B. Refraction
The remaining light enters the diamond and reflects toward the center of the diamond. The light that bounces off the internal wall of the diamond is the refraction.

C. Dispersion
The ray of light then shoots to the surface through the top of the diamond. A color spectrum is visible when light exits the diamond.

Brilliance Fun Fact: The American Gemological Society (AGS) is the only certification organization that assigns a grade to the make, with "0" being the best grade.

Brilliance Experience - Shopping Ideal Make Diamonds

In the world's diamond markets, to buyers in the know, make refers to a diamond's shape and the quality of its cut and finish. Every diamond at Brilliance is individually graded on a make scale based on four factors; Finish, Proportions, Light Performance, and Appearance. Brilliance offers expert guidance to help you select your perfect Ideal make diamond. View the exquisite Brilliance Collection from the list below. Or click on Personal Shopper for one-on-one guidance from a certified Diamond expert.

From the Mine, To the Cutter, To You

Your selected Ideal make diamond has only one stop from the mine; the cutter. Because we eliminate the middleman, no one can compete with our pricing or degree of quality. You will find when choosing your Ideal make diamond from Brilliance.com, you are buying only the finest. This is our promise and guarantee.