Diamonds are one of the most beautiful and sought after stones in the world. But how do you assess and evaluate the cut of a diamond? There are a few factors you need to consider: the cut, the color, clarity and carat need to be looked at. In terms of the cut, there are a few different ways a diamond can be shaped. These include round cut, princess cut, emerald, ovals and cushion cuts. The standard of cutting on each diamond needs to be assessed individually.

Diamonds are often assessed according to one of five cut grades to see how worthy they are. This starts with the fair cut grade and goes up to the elite ideal grade, which is the hardest to achieve as the highest quality control standards need to be met. In the middle of the scale are the good cut grade and then the very good grade, for diamonds that are attractive but still have a good price. The grades are completed by the ‘excellent’ grade, for diamonds of a high quality.

Also when assessing the cut of a diamond, you need to look at its color. Yellow is the most common color of diamonds and so they are usually assessed by how much yellow they have got in them. Often, the difference in color between different diamonds is very hard to see as it is only minimal. This is why it is advised you get your diamonds evaluated by a professional with a master set of diamonds to compare the color of your stone against.

Something else that needs to be taken into account with a diamond’s evaluation is the clarity of the stone, as this can be affected by how it’s cut as well as its natural state. Essentially, the fewer flaws within the diamond, the more it will be worth. The diamond grader will give the diamond a ‘first glance’ look to see whether any flaws are obvious, before moving on to a more detailed examination to work out how the flaws have affected the quality of the gem.

The carat count is something else that a diamond grader will look at. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams and it is the measurement of weight used for diamonds. Normally, a high carat value equals a more valuable diamond, but sometimes small and well-cut diamonds are worth more than stones with a high carat count. Also, rare diamonds such as large white stones have a higher per carat value than more common stones, such as smaller stones with much more yellow in them.

Further reading - Diamond Rings