-
“Lillian” Solitaire Diamond Necklace
Style Number: E10002![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Myra” Diamond Drop Earrings
Style Number: E10001![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Ellissa” Sapphire And Diamond Cluster Ring
Style Number: E3635![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Elsa” Three Stone Ring With Beaded Under-Rail
Style Number:![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Suzette” Unique Ring Design
Style Number: E1159![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Rosy” Rose Gold Solitaire
Style Number: E2773![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Lovely” Double Halo Round Diamond Ring
Style Number: E0058![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
Round Brilliant cut “Infinity ring”
Style Number: E1429![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Eliana” Round brilliant halo cluster design.
Style Number: E6384![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Penelope” Round brilliant cut in a wrap around band.
Style Number: E8276![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Gemma” Three-stone brilliant cut diamond ring.
Style Number: E5228![Ring Details]( "Details")
-
“Mercia” Round brilliant cut diamond twist ring design.
Style Number: E5349![Ring Details]( "Details")
A round shape diamond with an excellent cut grade is considered to be the best shape for light refraction. This, and the fact that the round shape is so versatile, means that it is suitable for many ring designs.
The round cut shape is the most popular choice of cut for an engagement ring. Around 70% of couples choose a round cut diamond.
The Modern Round Brilliant Cut Diamond
The proportions for an excellent cut diamond were originally calculated by diamond cutter and engineer Marcel Tolkowsky in 1914.
Marcel found that there was an optimal depth for a round cut stone. A depth that was not too deep, or too shallow. If it was just the right depth, the light would reflect up through the top of the diamond and you could see this play of light when you looked at the diamond from above.
A cut that is not the optimal depth loses light. It can pass out of the sides or through the bottom of the stone.
The aim of Marcel’s work was to calculate what cut would maximise the sparkle of the diamond. In technical terms, this means the brightness, fire and scintillation of the diamond.
The “brightness” refers to the white light that the diamond reflects. The “fire” is the play of colours that the diamond displays. The “scintillation” is the light and dark areas that reflect in the stone as you move it in the light.
Prior to the publication of Marcel’s work, round diamonds were cut to different proportions. The Old European Cut is a much deeper cut, and the table facet is smaller than the modern cut diamonds that we see today.
The GIA’s Excellent Cut Grade
The calculations that Marcel Tolkowsky undertook to determine the optimal proportions of the round brilliant cut diamond have stood the test of time. Even with modern cutting technologies and the ability to use computers to calculate the best measurements, the proportions of an Excellent cut round diamond have not changed much over the years.
This is not to say that there is a single, precise measurement that all diamonds that receive an Excellent cut grade from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) have to be. The best cuts fall within a range of measurements.
Sometimes people can worry too much about the measurements of a stone. They have an idea of “perfection” that hardly any diamond meets. However, the GIA itself says that the measurements of a diamond are just one aspect of determining a cut grade. The GIA considers a number of criteria as part of the process. This includes the cut design and the level of craftsmanship.
The fact that we know now that there is an optimal range of cut proportions for a round cut diamond is not to say that old diamond cuts are not magnificent in their own right. In fact, they are still cut today. Often these older round cuts display strong, deep flashes of light and colour. They can be pretty stunning diamonds. If you have ever seen the Crown Jewels Of the United Kingdom, you will have seen this for yourself!
For more information on the technical aspects of the round cut diamond, including hearts and arrows, click here.
Round Cut Sapphires
So far we have been talking about round diamonds, but of course round cut sapphires are a stunning choice for an engagement ring.
Round cuts in sapphires are a little harder to find. Cutters do not tend to cut this shape as much as other cut shapes. This is due to the way the sapphire crystal forms. When a round shape is cut it wastes a lot of the sapphire material. So cutters prefer to cut a shape that has a greater yield, like an oval cut.
