Diamond Jewelry San Carlos, Diamond Earrings San Carlos

The cut determines how bright your diamond will be. A properly cut diamond will refract the light that enters the diamond and return it through the top to produce the sparkle that is so desired. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value. Cut is the only one of the 4-Cs that is influenced by the human hand. The other 3 are created naturally as diamonds are formed in the earth.

Diamond cutting requires great skill & training. The cutter must polish tiny surfaces known as facets onto the rough diamond. This process is what creates the crown, culet, table, girdle, & pavilion of the diamond.

The facets, when arranged in precise proportions, will maximize brilliance and sparkle. To cut a diamond perfectly, a craftsman will often need to cut away more than 50% of the rough diamond.

Here are a few examples of how different cuts affect the refraction of light in the stone…

The typical brilliant cut diamond is cut with 58 facets, 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. On a well-proportioned stone, these facets will be uniform and symmetrical. If they are not, the diamond's ability to refract and reflect light will suffer.

The two most important numbers to be looking for when looking for great cut are the depth percentage and the table percentage.

Depth percentage is the depth of the diamond (table to culet) divided by the width of the diamond. The higher the number, the deeper the stone. The lower the number the shallower the stone. For example, a diamond with depth of 4.09 mm and width of 6.75 mm equals a depth percentage of 60.6%. For a round diamond, the optimal depth% for the top cut class is 59-62%.

Table percentage is the length of the table divided by the width of the diamond. The higher the number, the bigger the table looks. The lower the number, the smaller the table looks. For example, a diamond with table of 3.91 mm and width of 6.75 mm equals a table percentage of 57%. For a round diamond, the optimal table% for the top cut class is 55-60%.

Can you find diamonds that are the same weight, cheaper in other stores? Yes, BUT…those diamonds were cut by a “blind guy with a hatchet in a dark room”. We refuse to sell “hatchet-cut” diamonds.

Cut makes up 60% of the cost of a diamond…not color, not clarity, not weight. Cut is the only part of a diamond that can be controlled by men or women. Color, clarity, & weight are already pre-determined.

People that cut diamonds of exacting standards are apprentices for over 10 years before they are even allowed to touch a one-carat diamond.


	ROUND SHAPE The round brilliant diamond is the most popular* diamond shape and, because of the laws of supply and demand, is the most expensive. Rounds make up the vast majority of diamonds found in engagement rings and are popular as stud earrings and in pendants. *More than 75% of all diamonds sold are Round Stones

	PRINCESS SHAPE The princess cut is called a square or rectangular modified brilliant in GIA grading reports. The princess cut tends to be the smallest of the shapes for the same carat weight since the cut is basically an upside-down pyramid with most of the carat weight in the pavilion. The shape, squared-off corners of the princess cut require great care when setting and need to be protected to avoid chipping or cracking. It may have either 50 facets (21 crown, 4 girdle, 25 pavilion) or 58 facets (21 crown, 4 girdle, 33 pavilion), depending on how the pavilion is cut.

	OVAL SHAPE Look for even, well rounded ends with a full body Ovals provide a bigger surface area than a round with the same carat weight and therefore are an excellent option for shoppers looking for the brilliance of the round but a bigger size for their dollars. The oval, is seen most frequently cut in the standard 58 facet brilliant pattern

	EMERALD SHAPE The emerald cut is not a brilliant cut, but is called a step cut. Step cuts are comprised of larger facets which act like mirrors. Because of the angle, size and shape of the facets, the emerald cut shows less brilliance and fire (dispersion) than the other brilliant cut diamonds. However, the emerald cut stone reveals a classic beauty and elegance not seen in other cuts. Because of the open and large facets, we recommend a higher color and clarity than you might consider for a brilliant cut stone because they are more likely to become visible at lower grades. The emerald cut has 58 facets (25 crown, 8 girdle and 25 pavilion).

	PEAR SHAPE In a pear, look for a well-shaped head and even shoulders. Pear-shaped diamonds work great for pendants and drop earrings. The pear shape usually has the 58 facet brilliant pattern.

	HEART SHAPE The hear shape is a brilliant cut, which can be modified. It is important to look for a perfectly symmetrical appearance where the lobes (top arches) are of even height and breadth, and the overall shape pleasing to the eye.

	MARQUISE SHAPE The marquise is usually cut the same as the round brilliant. The crown cut is sometimes modified in the marquise to form what is called a "French Tip," where the bezel facet at the point of the stone is eliminated. Marquise diamonds frequently display a bow tie, so try to find a stone in which this is minimal or absent. The marquise has a very big surface area for the carat weight so is an excellent option if you want a big, long look for fewer dollars. The marquise is usually cut as an adaptation of the 58 facet standard brilliant (33 crown, 25 pavilion).

	TRILLION SHAPE The trillion cut was developed in the late seventies. The cut is an adaptation of the radiant cut but it is in a triangular shape. The trillion is a triangle that has equilateral sides and is a combination cut of the step cut and the brilliant cut diamond and when cut correctly has a wonderful brilliance. They are often cut shallow and often look large for their carat weight. Trillion diamonds are beautiful when flanking a center diamond, or in a more avant-garde piece as a center diamond. A matched pair also create beautiful earrings.

	BAGUETTE SHAPE The baguette is a step cut style used frequently as side stones. Baguettes have un- beveled corners, usually only two rows of facets, and may be rectangular or tapered. Like the emerald cut, the baguette does not have the sparkle of a brilliant cut but has a classic beauty. Higher color and clarity are important because there are not facets to hide inclusions or body color.

	RADIANT SHAPE The radiant cut is a patented name and cut also known as a cut-cornered, rectangular (or square) modified brilliant on GIA grading reports. The truncated corners help to minimize chipping. The Radiant cut diamond is considered the father of branded fancy cut diamonds with a birth over 20 years ago. Originally protected by patent, the design is now public domain. It is the first cut to have a complete brilliant facet pattern applied to both the crown and pavilion and as such presents a much more dazzling and brilliant diamond than the simple emerald cut. It has 70 facets (25 on the crown, 8 on the girdle and 37 pavilion).

	ASSCHER SHAPE In 1902, Asscher Diamond Co. patented a rectilinear diamond cut. Developed by Joseph Asscher, the squarish step cut’s deeply cut corners give it an almost octagonal outline. It features a small table, high crown, broad step facets, deep pavilion and square culet. The Asscher cut was inspired by the table cuts of the Renaissance, however, it was a big departure from the brilliant cuts that dominated the 1800s and was a forerunner of the standard emerald cut. Because of its high crown and small table, the Asscher cut has more light and fire than an emerald cut.

	CUSHION SHAPE The cushion cut diamond was one of the most popular cuts of diamonds ever. For more than 70 years from 1830 to the turn of the century this was how diamonds were cut. Sometimes referred to as a "pillow cut", the cushion cut has an open culet (the bottom of the diamond) and a rectangular to square shape with rounded corners and a facet plan to give the diamond depth. The cushion cut diamond was cut for candle light. This is quite different from today's diamonds which are cut for brighter, denser electric light. The beauty of a cushion cut is the depth of the diamond. The facets allow the eye to travel into the diamond. It is a calmer more soothing cut than a modern cut...and at a romantic candlelight dinner, the cushion cut is at its best. Most quality cushion cut diamonds are found only on the antique and estate market.

	HALF MOON SHAPE The half moon diamonds are used mainly for side stones and have the profile of half a round or half an oval diamond. They look great with rectangular center stones such as princess, radiant or emerald shapes because they have one straight side. Because of the rounded edge, half moon diamonds also work well with ovals shaped stones.

Don’t worry, we’re no talking about your clothes, we mean all of your jewelry.

One final test that you should do before selecting your jeweler is make sure they have a true love and appreciation for ALL jewelry.

Geoffrey’s Won’t Let You Leave Wearing Any Dirty Jewelry!
We will clean your jewelry for FREE. Many of our customers stop in and drop off their jewelry while they run other errands in the area.

Our promise to you: After we clean and refinish your jewelry, it will look equal to or better than the day you first got it.

Most stores only drop your pieces in an ultrasonic cleaner. We actually take the time to polish and buff your pieces to perfection. Our pride and love of jewelry demands it. And best of all, we NEVER charge for cleaning.

Cut refers to the angles and proportions of a Diamond