DIAMOND CUT
A diamond’s cut is what releases its light.
Most people think of a diamond's cut as its shape, but a diamond's cut is really about the facets that make up the brilliance of that diamond. There are 3 things that make up a diamonds cut:
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Diamond Table
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A diamond's table percentage is determined by dividing the top surface area of the diamond by the diameter of the diamond.
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Diamond Width
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A diamond's width is determined by measuring the widest end of its girdle to the other end of the girdle.
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Diamond Depth
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A diamond's depth percentage is determined by dividing the the height of the diamond by the width of the diamond.
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To determine the cut grade of the standard round brilliant diamond – the shape that dominates the majority of diamond jewelry – GIA calculates the proportions of those facets that influence the diamond’s face-up appearance. These proportions allow GIA to evaluate how successfully a diamond interacts with light to create desirable visual effects such as:
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Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
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Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
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Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond