What Do We Mean When We Say We Select the Most Beautifully Cut Diamonds?

Many people believe a diamond’s quality is primarily about carat weight, color, and clarity. But in reality, the factor that most determines how much a diamond sparkles is the cut.

The cut is what controls how light travels through the diamond and reflects back to the eye. Two diamonds with identical carat, color, and clarity can look completely different in real life—simply because they are cut differently.

That is why some diamonds appear vibrant and full of life, while others may look flat or less brilliant when seen in person.

Cut Grade Only Applies to Round Diamonds

Only round brilliant diamonds receive an official overall Cut Grade on a grading report (such as Excellent).

For all other shapes—oval, pear, emerald, cushion, marquise—there is no combined cut grade. Instead, the certificate provides measurements such as:

• Table percentage
• Depth percentage
• Length-to-width ratio
• Polish
• Symmetry
  

This means that for fancy shapes, overall beauty depends much more on expert selection and evaluation.

Learn more: A Guide To Gemstone Cuts & Shapes

Why Cut Matters More Than Most People Realize

A truly beautiful diamond requires:

• Precise proportions
• Balanced crown and pavilion angles
• A harmonious length-to-width ratio
• Excellent polish and symmetry
• Minimal and soft bow-tie effect (for oval and pear shapes)
  

When these elements are in balance, the diamond achieves optimal light return. This is when it truly comes alive—reflecting light back with brilliance, fire, and movement.

Why Some Diamonds Sparkle More Than Others

Many clients notice a clear difference when viewing rings in person. Even if the grading reports look similar, the visual impression can be dramatically different.

This often comes down to:

• A cut that is too deep or too shallow
• Imbalanced proportions
• Less precise facet alignment
• Insufficient attention to overall light performance
  

These details may not always be obvious on paper—but the eye recognizes them instantly.

Our Approach

For round diamonds, we select stones graded Excellent cut.

For oval and other fancy shapes, where no overall cut grade exists, we carefully evaluate proportions, light performance, ratio, polish, and symmetry.

We consistently choose diamonds with Excellent polish and symmetry and with balanced, harmonious proportions that maximize brilliance.

To us, beauty is not just a grading category—it is a visible result.