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Of the 4 C's, cut quality is the hardest to pin down. But Cut counts the most, it turns a pebble of diamond into a sparkling gem. Sadly most diamonds are not well cut; D Flawless diamonds are often poorly cut and sparkle less than well cut lower quality diamonds.
Pricescope have been critical of lab Cut grading, but now AGS have released a new improved system and GIA, who have never graded cut,
promise to soon.
If you want a really simple 'Cut' explanation, click here: De Beers. If you are serious, then keep reading.
Three Approaches to Cut Grading:
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Proportions are measured with a Sarin,
Ogi, or Helium scanner.
Old systems use the worst proportion as the 'grade maker'. AGS used this flawed method until May 2005.
You can reject bad proportioned diamonds with Pricescope's free HCA for round diamonds and
AGA for other shapes.
These tools can narrow your search, but are not for final "selection"; symmetry and other factors also need to be considered.
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Helium Scanner
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Direct assessment – Ideal-Scope viewers and photos show leakage
and light return. Hearts and Arrows viewers are for grading symmetry,
but some H&A's do not score <2 on HCA.
The Brilliancescope and ISee-2 shine light
onto a diamond and give digital pixel counts. Both give a good indication of diamond performance, but neither gives the same grade for the same diamond.
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Ideal-Scope Pattern Features
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A virtual 3D model from a Sarin or Helium
scanner can be viewed and tested here with a free GemAdviser download.
3D methods give new R&D Ray Trace Cut info and virtual ideal-scope images. |
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Diamond Calculator | |
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