CUT

In order to turn diamonds into something fabulously wonderful, they need to be cut. An uncut diamond is a small nugget and is called a raw (or rough) diamond. Diamonds are carbon that has crystallised an unimaginably long time ago. Nothing in nature is harder than a diamond. A diamond can only be cut by another diamond.

The more sparkles and brilliance, the more stunning the diamond. The lustre of a diamond is determined by the cut. It is all about getting the right proportions and symmetry. A well-cut diamond reflects more light, which can make it appear larger than it is, than a poorly cut diamond. The sparkle of a diamond can be assessed by a computer, although cutting is still mostly done by hand by incredibly skilled and careful diamond cutters. Diamonds are cut in several locations around the world, but most are certified in Antwerp in Belgium.

Concerning quality, the cut of a diamond is divided into five categories:

Ideal/excellent

Very good

Good

Fair

Poor

Excellent cut diamonds reflect more or less all the light that enters the diamond. Only 3% of all diamonds are of this quality.