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Showing posts with label Anatomy of a Diamond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anatomy of a Diamond. Show all posts

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The Cutlet of a Diamond

Friday, May 27, 2011 by admin

The Cutlet of a Diamond

What is the cutlet part of the diamond? Simply put, it is the point at the bottom of the diamond. Diamond cutlets typically where hidden inside the diamond setting, but due the increase in popularity of open sided settings, the cutlet is often seen in a jewelry piece. Although it is often incorrectly referred to as the diamond “cutlet,” culet (pronounced kew-let) is the proper term. Typically a cutlet starts off flat while the other facets are being polished. This helps to prevent it from chipping. Typically this extra facet is “closed” into a point. Originally diamonds were not closed, instead they were left as with an extra facet on the bottom. However, there became a large demand for closed facet diamonds and this is now the standard. In fact, there are some people who believe that if you do not close a cutlet, then an evil spirit can enter into the diamond.

Having a small cutlet is preferable. The cutlet is parallel to the diamond’s table, which is the large flat surface on the top of the diamond. Large culets on a diamond are often very visible and you will be able to see it and whatever is beneath it through the table. A large cutlet often appears to be a large inclusion. This can really lessen the appearance of an otherwise beautiful diamond. Cutlets are rated according to size and you should be able to obtain this information when you purchase your diamond.

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The Facets of a Diamond

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Facets are flat surfaces on gemstones and diamonds. They are cut into the stone in order to improve the appearance. There are hundreds of ways that you can cut facets into a stone. The most common is the round brilliant cut which was created in 1919. There were originally 57 facets included in the round brilliant cut, but over time small improvements have been made, including one additional facet known as the culet. The culet is the facet at the bottom of the diamond, which typically comes to a point.

The purpose of a facet is to make the diamond shine by reflecting the light inside the diamond. Facets are cut throughout the diamond. In the brilliant cut diamond, there are 33 facets on the crown of the diamond. This is the upper half of the diamond. There are 25 facets in the pavilion of the diamond, which is the bottom half. Many diamonds are also faceted on the girdle, which is the middle of the diamond. The number of facets on the girdle vary greatly from 32 to 100 facets, and these facets are excluded from the facet total. Sometimes extra facets are included in the crown or the pavilion to help reduce imperfections in the diamond. However, a diamond’s cut should be symmetric and having extra facets might cause the diamond to be considered less valuable.

If a diamond is very small, it typically is cut with a lot fewer facets. If you cut a very small diamond with 58 facets, it would appear white or “milky.” This is because the point of a facet is to reflect the internal light and this can’t be accomplished with a small diamond. In the same manner, very large diamonds typically have extra facets cut into them to make the best use of the diamond’s size.

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The Girdle of a Diamond

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Where is the girdle on the diamond? The diamond girdle is fattest part of the diamond, located in the middle. Diamond girdles are rated according to their size. The smallest girdles are rated “extremely thin” and the largest girdles are considered “extremely thick.” Each has its own disadvantage. A girdle that is too thin is easily chipped. A thick girdle puts extra weight in the diamond, but it doesn’t make the diamond look larger. If you purchase a diamond that has a very thick girdle, you will pay for the extra weight but you won’t get a diamond that appears any larger.

When purchasing a diamond you want to find one that has an even medium girdle. However, if you get a pear shaped diamond, you will want a thick girdle at the tip of the diamond to help prevent damage to the diamond.

One thing to check when examining your diamond is if your girdle is faceted and polished. Sometimes a diamond cutter will skip this step in order to keep the diamond a larger weight or simply to save a step. However, a girdle that is polished and faceted will help reflect the internal light in the diamond better and make your diamond appear more attractive. A faceted diamond will not improve the grade of a diamond however. You also want to check for bearding or fringes, around the girdle. These are hair-like lines that occur around the girdle when the diamond was cut. If this is excessive, you will want to consider having the diamond polished or cut again.

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The Depth of a Diamond

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The depth of any diamond is extremely important in regards to its brilliance and value. The depth is defined as the height of the diamond from the culet to the table. You can usually find the two different measures of depth on your diamond grading report. The actual depth is done in millimeters and the depth percentage which shows you how deep the diamond is as compared to the width.

The depth percentage is important but only tells half the story. Where the depth lies within the diamond is equally important, specifically the depth of the pavilion. It should be deep enough to allow light in to move around the diamond, but still be reflecting out the light at the proper angle adding to the brilliance. Diamond cutters must take the stone and remove weight from the original rough diamond to get the right proportions in order to achieve the effect that labels a diamond Ideal or Very Fine cut. In this cut the diamond will exhibit a white table reflection that appears to be in the middle of the diamond.

Depth percentages should be between 59% and 63% to be considered an Ideal or Very Fine Cut. You can have a higher percentage of cut in other diamonds that may require it, but higher is not always better in certain cuts. For instance in Princess cut diamonds the depth percentage is usually between 75% and 78%. Lowering that particular cut to even 65% would essentially ruin the stone.

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The Table of a Diamond

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The table of a diamond is the upper flat facet of the stone. The size of the table establishes the look of the stone, meaning how great the brilliance is, which is very important to the value of the stone. The greater the table the less fire it has, which is the variety and intensity of the color that is reflected. This is also what makes it more rare and valuable.

Table proportions range from 46.4% to 65.5%. They can go lower and higher but the value would be greatly reduced depending on the cut of the stone. The recommended table percentage is between 53% and 58% which is considered Ideal. You still will get an Excellent look if you stay between 58.1% and 60%. To find the percentage you take what the table measures (for example if it 5.7 mm) and what the total diameter measures (for example, 10.0 mm) and multiply to get the table percentage (57%.) If the height is significantly smaller than 58.5% then you might find the diamond too shallow. If it is larger than 61% you may find the stone too chunky, taking away from its beauty. Many respected table graders recommend the 60/60 rule. If you keep the depth and the table at about 60% for each, you will have a brilliant and beautiful diamond.

Just recently you are able to find more Ideal cut diamonds because of the demand for the more perfect diamond. They are lowering in price a bit, due to the level in which they are requested by consumers.

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The Symmetry of a Diamond

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Diamond symmetry is an important part of the diamond finish, but not necessarily more important than the overall beauty of the diamond itself. The symmetry of the diamond refers to the exactitude of the shape and how the facets are arranged, including misshapen and extra facets. Symmetry is essential to higher clarity graded diamonds, as it increases the rarity and value.

The labs grade symmetry in four separate grades, Excellent, Very Good, Good, and lastly Fair or Poor. The basis of this grading includes examination by microscope to ensure all facets meet perfectly. There are just a few diamonds that actually get the grade Excellent or Very Good, which are flawless diamonds that really just don’t exist except in a few rare instances. Diamonds that receive the grade of Good are often considered to be the most purchased diamonds and offer exceptional beauty. Diamonds with Fair to Poor symmetry should be avoided due to the lackluster brilliance, and lack of value.

Polishing the rough stone has a great deal to do with symmetry of the diamond. The goal is to cut the heaviest, most valuable diamond possible and this often means polishing a diamond with imperfect symmetry. The polished diamond is often slightly off round, have tilting of the table, or off centering of the culet. The polishing avoids inclusions and helps to achieve the perfect weight, such as 1.00 carat exactly. Contrary to popular belief, diamond cutters often use their skills to create imperfect symmetry, rather than it occurring because they do not contain the skills.

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The Finish of a Diamond

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The finish on a diamond is more of an aesthetic term rather than a term that would change the value of a diamond. The finish just refers to the polish on the external part of the stone. Most diamonds that you will buy will already have a polished finish to them to give them the sparkle and clean look that you would want in a stone. Diamonds are essentially created for the commercial market, so you everything from mining, to cleaving, to setting it on your ring is done to make the stone more aesthetically beautiful. This is what polishing achieves, when it is well cut and polished, it is said to have a beautiful finish.

Many people think that the finish of a diamond refers to the coating of a diamond. Coating is a treatment done to change the color of a diamond. A finish is a treatment to smooth down the diamond and make it look better to the naked eye, but will not actually change the appearance of the stone. It can be done with a rough surface in certain ways to achieve the look that the customer would enjoy. It is simply just a thorough polishing or cleaning. A normal diamond can have a smooth or granular finish. Neither is better than the other, it is just up to your personal preference. Most diamonds, however, are done in a smooth finish to make it more reflective. Frequent cleanings can help maintain the appearance of the diamond finish.

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Diamond Polish

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To polish a diamond is exactly as it sounds. You take a rough stone that has been set and start the process of rubbing the stone to make it smooth and shiny, as well as reducing any appearance of flaws or imperfections. The polish effects the way the light is able to pass through the diamond, and influences the look of the diamonds brilliance.

Polish is graded the same way that symmetry is, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Poor or Fair. When a polish has a grade of Poor or Fair it means that the facets may reduce the intensity of the light that is reflected from a diamond, which means less brilliance or sparkle. They could also have polish lines that are blurring the surface of the diamond giving it a very dirty look. Every diamond cutter, even the most skilled, can run into variances in the grain that no amount of polishing will remove. It is simply a defect that cannot be removed. No amount of cleaning will ever take this look away because the lines are reducing the amount of light that enters the diamond.

It is found that most people want a diamond that has an Excellent or Very Good polish, because even at the Good level the diamond constantly looks like it needs cleaning. Since polishing is graded, it is best to get a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificate in order to certify that you have the proper grading to ensure you have the best brilliance you can afford.

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The Fluorescence of a Diamond

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Diamond Fluorescence is a hotly debated topic among the diamond industry, because some feel strongly that it has an impact on a value of the diamond, whereas others feel that it makes very little difference on the appearance of the diamond. What diamond fluorescence refers to is the ability of the diamond to emit a soft colored glow when put under an ultraviolet light, or black light as it may be called.

It is found that if a stone has a grade from J to M a moderate amount of fluorescence actually makes the stone more attractive to people because with these color grades the fluorescence helps to cancel out some of the yellow coloring. This makes it appear more colorless then it actually is. However if you have a stone with a grade from D to F, which means it has a high color, fluorescence is thought to get in the way of the flow of the light. The makes the diamonds appear oily or dirty looking. This may not actually be true, but it is perceived to be true by some of the diamond industry, hence the lower price of the diamond. In some cases D to F stones should not be bought anyhow with any fluorescence just because of the possible discoloration but again, that is still up for debate.

In general, the average fluorescence makes absolutely no difference when the diamond is looked at flat side up. You should not let the amount of fluorescence influence your choice of diamonds.

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