When buying a Diamond there are several considerations for the buyer. Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes and they can be purchased as loose stones or set into jewellery on their own or with other gemstones. Diamonds are radiant and a very popular choice, especially when their setting compliments them. So, how do you decide on what shape of Diamond you would like? This is where the cut of the stone becomes crucial!

Diamonds are classified according to the 4 C's. These are universally known as Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat. All of these factors determine the class and inevitably the price of the Diamond. There are several different cuts that manufacturers use when making diamond jewellery. They are categorised into round cut, emerald cut, oval cut, pear cut, marquise cut, heart cut and princess cut. Within these
different cuts there is different quality depending on the depth and this is known as deep, ideal and shallow. The brilliance of the stone will depend on its depth.

Some of the names do give a clue as to the shape of the stone, however, the cut refers to the proportion rather than the actual shape of the Diamond. An Ideal cut Diamond refers to the depth and width of the stone. The proportions of depth and width have a dramatic effect as they control the reflection of white light that we see when we look at a Diamond. When lightwaves travel through an Ideal Cut Diamond they bounce back out the top of the stone, displaying its total brilliance. An Ideal Cut is paramount to the beauty and radiance of the Diamond, because even a stone with outstanding colour and clarity will not achieve its full sparkle if the light cannot reflect back through it to the best of its ability.