If you are beginning your search for the perfect diamond, you may notice that price differs greatly from diamond to diamond. Why is this? All diamonds, whether mined or lab-created, are graded on quality using a universal system that assesses the stone on its color, clarity, cut and carat weight; this grading system is commonly known as the ‘4 Cs’ of diamonds. While carat is what many buyers focus on, the cut is the factor that impacts the price tag of a diamond the most. From round cut diamonds to a round brilliant cut diamonds to a pear-shaped diamond, each has its own qualities that you should learn about in order to choose the best possible diamond for your budget. With that in mind, let’s talk about different cuts and the most expensive diamond cut.
Diamond Shape vs. Diamond Cut
First, although you may think they’re similar, be careful not to confuse the cut for the diamond shape. Before you begin the process of designing and creating your fiance’s dream ring, you must decide on a diamond shape. The shape of the stone refers to whether the stone is round, pear, oval, etc.
A diamond cut, on the other hand, is the actual cutting of diamond facets. A diamond facet is a flat surface on the shape of the diamond. The amount and quality of facets on a diamond are the most important factors in determining its quality in terms of fire, brilliance, and scintillation. In other words, the cut will help determine how sparkly a diamond can be.
The cut of a diamond determines how effectively light refracts from within the stone and reflected back through the top of the diamond. Diamonds are graded on a scale from excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Clean Origin only offers diamonds at or above a “good” cut quality. Good, very good, excellent, or ideal are the four available options.
Why Cut Matters
While color and clarity affect a diamond, the cut is what gives a diamond its ability to reflect light and thus sparkle more. As with all diamonds, different carat sizes, colors, and clarity (review our diamond clarity chart here) will affect the price of a diamond. An excellent diamond will have one of the best diamond cuts, but also one of the most expensive diamond cuts, as well as a higher price tag. While a poor diamond will have a less effective cut in terms of proportion, symmetry, and polish, and thus will also perform less well in terms of fire, brilliance, and scintillation. It will also have a lower price tag. If you cut a diamond too deep or too shallow, the light won’t properly reflect off the diamond. You want to avoid this by picking a diamond that has proportionally cut facets.
Why Diamond Pricing Varies From Shape to Shape
Diamond cut is actually an assessment of the skill of the artisan diamond cutter, who plans, maps out, and cuts the facets on each individual diamond. This process, naturally, takes a lot of skill and time. Depending on the diamond shape one is looking to achieve, a diamond cutter will spend more time, cutting away more of the rough crystal that forms, in order to produce the ideal shape. Well cut diamonds have more cut away from them which makes them one of the most expensive diamond cuts. The most expensive diamond shape is probably among fancy shapes like emerald-cut diamonds (discover some emerald cut engagement rings), and Asscher cut diamonds. Conversely, diamond shapes with little cut away from them in the shaping process, allow for those shapes to be less expensive.
The Most Expensive Diamond Cut: The Round Brilliant
The fan-favorite diamond shape for engagement rings is the round brilliant cut diamond. This is a popular shape because it will work with nearly any setting, allowing you to choose from a wide selection, and it gives a beautiful royal look. It also produces brilliance and sparkle, unlike any other diamond shape, with 58 facets that allow for maximum reflection of light. This shape is typically the most expensive diamond cut because of how much the cutter cuts away from the diamond during the shaping process. More time and skill go into creating a round diamond. A round diamond will cost around 20% more than other diamond shapes.
The Best Round Diamond You Can Buy
Brilliant round diamonds provide the most brilliance and sparkle, but did you know there’s another cut that goes above and beyond the rest? Our Clean Origin Hearts and Arrows collection is made up of round brilliant diamonds that are cut with extreme precision and craftsmanship, showing off eight sharp ‘arrows’ visible when the diamond is facing upwards, and eight ‘hearts’ when the diamond is reversed. This is the most perfectly symmetrical and premium round diamond you can buy!
Because of this cut’s precise symmetry, the light will enter and exit the diamond almost perfectly, creating its own ‘hall of mirrors’ that reflects the maximum possible light and brilliance. This cut is extremely rare and makes up less than 1% of all the diamonds in the world. So if you’re looking to really shock your future fiance with a diamond unlike any other, the Hearts & Arrows collection will blow her away.
Now, what is the difference between an ‘ideal’ cut diamond and Hearts & Arrows? Although an ‘ideal’ cut diamond is the top grade quality, providing the best light performance and proportions, Hearts & Arrows have perfect symmetry. All Hearts and Arrows diamonds are ideal, but not all ideal diamonds are Hearts and Arrows. And remember, Hearts and Arrows only apply to round diamonds.
Fancy Shaped Diamonds Will Save You Money!
If you’re looking to save some money and aren’t a fan of round-cut diamonds anyway, then you’re in luck! Fancy-shaped diamonds are less expensive than round brilliant diamonds because the diamond cutter cuts less of the rough diamond away during the shaping process. Fancy-shaped diamonds are, well, everything except round! That includes emerald, oval, cushion, Asscher, pear, heart, radiant, and princess. Plenty of fantastic shapes and fine options. These shapes can be extremely striking, especially when placed in a unique setting. Another benefit to most fancy-shaped diamonds is that they appear larger than rounds. This means that a 1-carat oval will look bigger than a 1 carat round. Oval, emerald, and pear-shaped diamonds appear larger because of their elongated shapes. However, it is important to remember that a well-cut round diamond will provide intense sparkle and brilliance, something fancy-cut diamonds cannot match.
Save Even More With A Lab Diamond
If you’re looking to buy a lab grown diamond, you’ll save even more on your engagement ring at Clean Origin! On a lab grown diamond, you can save 20-40% on the price—compared to mined diamonds. This means that you can increase your carat size or opt for a better quality stone, without going over budget. Shopping on a budget doesn’t have to limit your choices of picking out a beautiful diamond. Contact our team today and they’ll help guide you through the best jewelry options for your budget.
