Keep seeing round diamonds around you often? Well, it’s no surprise since round diamonds account for over 73% of all diamonds sold worldwide.
Round diamonds seem to have a very high demand. You might wonder what is it about round diamonds that makes them so popular. This might be surprising but their capacity to maximize light reflection is immense. It makes them brighter and more brilliant than any other diamond shape.
The only diamond shape that the GIA grades for a cut are a round diamond. The “cut” of a diamond relates to how well the stone’s angles line and how well the polish is. The quality of your diamond’s cut influences how gleaming and bright it is!
But be careful, it’s only a step of the evaluation and will not necessarily assure light quality.
Rounds are given cut grades of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor by the GIA. We exclusively recommend Round cut diamonds with an Excellent cut rating, which is the highest cut grade assigned by the GIA.
Diamond faceting came to be in the 15th century. It was when people discovered that diamonds could be polished with their own dust. Previously, the only way to wear this gem was with rough diamonds and polished crystals.
Faceting reawakened the possibility for shine. After finding the beauty of polished diamonds, diamond cutters began to develop.
First polishing crystals, then cutting off the top of the crystal to produce a table diamond cut. And ultimately, step-cut diamonds. Faceted diamond cutters developed the rose cut in the 16th century, followed by the cushion shape old mine cut.
Also Read:- What is Milgrain? A Complete Guide
Table of Contents
The 4 C’s
When searching for a round diamond, there’s 4 C’s that matter a lot.
These are color, cut, clarity, and carat. These four characteristics of a diamond are significant factors impacting appearance and form. The 4Cs determine how the round diamond appears and how strong the quality is. The ability of a diamond to reflect light back to your eyes is based on cut quality, but also by color and clarity.
Cut Quality for Round Cut Diamonds
The cut quality of a diamond has the greatest impact on the beauty of all the features. It refers to how nicely a diamond is proportioned and aesthetically pleasing. The capacity of a diamond to reflect light and provide brilliance is influenced by its cut dimensions.
The GIA is a well-known and acknowledged lab grading body that issues diamond reports. Round Brilliant Cuts are graded on the following scale:
| Excellent | Provides the highest level of fire and brilliance | Almost all incoming light is reflected through the table |
| Very Good | Offers immense brilliance and fire | The majority of entering light reflects through the table |
| Good | Provides ample yet not overwhelming brilliance | Much of the light reflects through the table |
| Fair | Offers minimal brilliance | Light exits through the sides and bottom of the diamond |
| Poor | Yields nearly no sparkle or brilliance | Light escapes from the bottom and sides of the diamond. |
The GIA grade is important when it comes to Cut, but it is not the only thing to keep in mind. Remember this while searching diamonds online, since around 55% of all GIA round diamonds on the internet are ‘Excellent cuts’. This means that their rating has a wide range of “excellence” (ranging from truly stunning to mediocre).To identify a diamond’s cut quality, ensure it isn’t cut too low or too deep.
Light strikes each pavilion and bounces back to the eye through the crown and table when a diamond is cut for optimum brilliance and fire. A well-proportioned Round Cut Diamond with appropriate facet angles virtually flawlessly reflects white and colored light.
We strongly advise paying close attention to cut quality because it has the greatest impact on a diamond’s attractiveness. If you’re on a tight budget, consider lowering your Carat weight to guarantee that you get a good cut.
Best Color Rating for a Round Diamond Ring
Round diamonds reflect more light than any other diamond shape due to their facet pattern and cutting technique. This means that the color tint of a round diamond can be hidden by brilliance, and an icy white look can be achieved without a high color grade.
While D-F (colorless) diamonds have a cold, chilly aspect, they are extremely rare and hence expensive. As a practical buyer, the ideal color rating to get is a G color because you save the premiums while still getting a white diamond.
Now, we do want to point out that the hue of a diamond is often a matter of personal taste.
While a majority of people choose white-looking diamonds, others prefer warm-toned diamonds in the lower hue range.
This is especially true if you want vintage-style engagement rings or want to use yellow or rose gold metals in your setting. Going down the color scale for a J or K diamond is absolutely fine. It’s because the warm tone complements the engagement ring’s aesthetic.
Clarity Grades for Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
The GIA uses a scale of FL to I3 to grade diamond clarity, with flawless being the best and Included 3 being the lowest. One of the most typical blunders made by beginners is believing that a higher clarity grade equals more sparkle and brilliance.
The truth is that, when viewed with the naked eye, the majority of eye-clean VS2 diamonds will appear to be internally perfect diamonds. If you don’t require a symbolic D/IF classification for your diamond, an eye-clean SI1 or VS2 diamond can save you a lot of money.
Most SI1 and VS2 diamonds are eye-clean, and I recommend shopping in these grades to obtain the most value for your money. The trick is to look for eye-clean stones with no visible inclusions even under a 10X loupe.
FAQs
Does a bigger table make a diamond look bigger?
Diamonds can be cut into a variety of shapes, including round, princess, and oval. Some diamond shapes have greater mass on the table (the diamond’s top), making them appear larger per carat.
How much bigger does a halo make a diamond look?
A halo setting can make the central stone appear up to a half-carat larger, potentially saving hundreds of dollars. (Learn more about carats and how to pick the right engagement ring size by clicking here.) The pavé design also adds a lot of glitz.
