|
Fancy Shapes
are less expensive than Rounds. There is one quality of Fancy Shapes
that can affect the cost of a Fancy Shape
yet never appear on a Certificate and that is "Shape Appeal".
You don't need to be a gemologist to know if a Heart Shape has an
appealing look to it. The lobes of the Heart may look completely
different on one stone than another and yet you wouldn't necessarily
be able to determine that from the measurements of the Stones. The
best way to judge shape appeal is to look at the stone's girdle
outline without a Loupe and decide if it's attractive.
Round
Brilliant Cut
|
Rounds are
the most popular Shape that Diamonds are cut into. It is also the
most brilliant of all the cuts. You may have heard of a term called
"Ideal Cut". This term refers to the attempt to cut
a Diamond into the best proportions to achieve maximum brilliance.
The following is a breakdown of what is considered "Ideal Cut"
in round brilliants according to "American Ideal / Tolkowsky"
and the "European Ideal Cut" (Proportions are given relative
to the girdle diameter):
Be aware that there is
a premium for purchasing "Ideal Cuts", and they are more
rare in the market. Cutting to "Ideal" generally entails
losing more weight from the rough Diamond than regular proportions.
"Ideal Cut" for Rounds
| |
American Ideal /
Tolkowsky |
European Ideal |
| Total Depth |
58.7 - 62.3% |
60.0 - 61.1% |
| Table Diameter |
53.0 - 58.0% |
57.5% |
| Girdle Thickness |
medium
to
slightly thick |
very thin
to
medium |
| Culet Size |
none
to
medium |
none
to
medium |
| Crown Angles |
34.3º to 34.7º |
34.5º |
| Pavilion Depth |
43.1% |
43.1% |
| Finish |
very good
to
excellent |
good
to
excellent |
| Crown Height |
16.2% |
16.2% |
There are 58 facets
in a Round Brilliant Cut including the culet. On the Crown or
upper part of the Diamond, these consist of 1 table facet, 8 bezel
facets, 8 star facets, and 16 upper girdle facets for a total
of 33. On the pavilion, or bottom part of the Diamond, there are
16 lower girdle facets, 8 pavilion main facets and 1 culet.
Rounds are
the most expensive cuts, and with good reason. It is usually possible
to retain more weight from a Rough (unpolished) Diamond if it is
cut into a Fancy shape than if it is cut to a Round.
Another
thing to look for in Fancy Shapes is that the Diamond has a nice
length to width ratio.
Marquise
Brilliant Cut
|
The name
"Marquise" came from a legend of the Marquise of Pompadour
that the Sun King wanted a Diamond to be polished into the shape
of the mouth of the Marquise! The typical Marquise Brilliant contains
56 facets.
| What
to watch out for: A
poor cut in Marquise is most often detectable by the "bow-tie
effect" which is judged by the unaided eye. |
Emerald
Cut
|
The Emerald
Cut is rectangular with cut corners. It is a step cut as opposed
to a brilliant cut. The facets are broad with flat planes resembling
the steps of a stair. That's why it is refered to as a "step"
cut. Unlike the Marquise brilliant, there is no bow-tie effect on
an Emerald cut.
| What
to watch out for: It
is better to go for higher quality Emeralds, because both
inclusions and lower color are more noticeable in Emeralds
than in other cuts. |
Pear
Shaped Brilliant
|
The Pear
Shaped Brilliant is a combination of a Round brilliant and a Marquise
cut. Pendants looks very nice set with a Pear shape as do earrings,
due to the "Teardrop" shape.
| What
to watch out for: A
poor cut in a Pear shape is most often detectable by the
"bow-tie effect" which is judged by the unaided
eye. |
Heart
Shaped Brilliant
|
The Heart
Shaped Brilliant bears some similarity to the Pear Shape, except
that there is a cleft at the top. In fact, often the reason cutters
may choose a Heart shape over a Pear may be that the Rough Diamond
contained an inclusion located in the cleft. The skill of the cutter
can make a great difference in the beauty of this cut. The "Shape
Appeal" is especially important with Hearts.
| What
to watch out for: Shape
appeal. Make sure the overall girdle outline is attractive.
The lobes should be even and well defined. The cleft should
be polished to ensure maximum brilliance. The Heart also
has the bow-tie effect. |
Oval
Shaped Brilliant
|
The Oval
Shaped Brilliant is very similar to a Round except it is elliptical.
It was invented by Lazare Kaplan in the early 1960s. The Oval brilliant
usually has 56 facets. "Shape Appeal" is very important
with Oval brilliants.
| What
to watch out for: Shape
appeal. Uneven shoulders, high shoulders. A poor cut in
an Oval shape is most often detectable by the "bow-tie
effect" which is judged by the unaided eye. |
Princess
Cut
|
The Princess
Cut is relatively new. It is a very attractive cut. Some people
like the Princess because it is rectangular and yet has some of
the sparkle of a Round brilliant cut.
| What to watch out for: Shape
appeal. Judge the attractiveness of the shape by looking
at the girdle outline with the unaided eye. Do you find
it pleasing? Are the sides even? Watch out for girdles which
are too thin, because it is more prone to chipping. |
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