CUT

Cut refers to whether a diamond is properly proportioned. It should be your most important consideration, even though cut is the least talked about component of diamond value.

"Properly proportioned diamonds return 90-93% of light that enters them. Poorly proportioned diamonds only return 40-50% of the light that enters the stone."

When a diamond is poorly cut, its value can be discounted 10-40%, as it looses its brilliance. Women love diamonds that sparkle, so our best advice is to shop and research properly proportioned stones.

Differences in color or clarity may be detectable only by experts, and might even be invisible to the naked eye. Differences in cut can result in dramatic differences in appearance. It is the cut that provides a diamond with brilliance, and brilliance is what diamonds are all about.

Unless you have unlimited funds, buying a diamond requires a series of compromises. Finding the diamond you want may involve choosing a lower color and clarity, or lowering your desired carat weight for a finer quality stone. Both these compromises are rational, but you should never sacrifice on quality of cut.

An ordinary stone will either appear smaller than finely cut stones of the same weight, or lack brilliance. A stone that appears small almost always costs too much because it means paying for weight you cannot see. Always remember that when a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is, and the explanation often lies in the cut of the stone. Without expertise, it can be challenging for consumers to judge cut on their own. Therefore, given the importance of cut, it is critical to work with a jeweler you trust.

"Proportions, or the cut of stone, are rarely talked about when a jeweler shows a diamond. Proportion is the KEY to unlocking a diamond’s brilliance and sparkle."

	Too Wide: This is called a “Spread Stone," which means it looks bigger than it actually is. When a diamond is cut too wide, light escapes out the bottom, brilliance is lost and the diamond appears watery, glassy and dark.
	Too Deep: When a diamond is cut too deep, light escapes out of the bottom, brilliance is lost and the center of the diamond will appear dark. This will make the stone appear smaller than it actually is. For example, a one carat may appear as small as a .85 carat.

"Radiant Cut"
Exclusive to Ben Garelick Jewelers in the Buffalo region, the Original Radiant Cut Diamond combines the classic elegance of the traditional emerald cut shape with the sparkle of the "brilliant" cut. The term “Radiant” is a generic term indicating shape. The Original Radiant Cut diamond is proprietary and indicates the exclusive cut. The Radiant Cut allows people to choose an exquisitely shaped rectangular diamond without any compromise. Diamonds with rounded edges, like round stones, pear shapes, ovals and marquises, are faceted with triangular facets. This cutting style is known as the "brilliant cut."

By combining the two cutting styles into a hybrid "brilliantized step cut," the Original Radiant Cut is able to release the natural brilliance of a straight edged diamond. For more info on the radiant cut please click here.