YOUR GUIDE TO ROUND CUT DIAMONDS

October 21, 2020

Despite their high price, round cut diamonds are the most popular and sought after. Not only are they prestigious, but also, the fact that about 60% of the rough stone is shed to yield this beautiful piece dignifies round cut diamonds. This is because the round cut diamond is cut to exude the maximum brilliance that everyone appreciates to see and admire.

With the round diamond's quality and popularity, one wonders how this precious piece came into existence. The round diamond cut can be traced way back to the 17^th century when diamond cutters developed better techniques to replace crude implements.

One of the earliest cuts named after Cardinal Mazarin is known as the Mazarin cut and has 17 facets on the crown. Through a series of changes, the Mazarin cut birthed improvements early in the 18^th century, like the old mine, old European, and Peruzzi cuts. Soon, the modern round brilliant cut was developed by a Russian diamond lover, Marcel Tolkowsky. Also known as the Tolkowsky cut, this modern cut sports 57 or 58 facets when the culet is pointed, giving it its gorgeous radiance and acclaim as the world's most popular cut.

If you're looking to purchase a round cut diamond, the guide below will help you make the best choice on your diamond hunt.

Cut Guide for Round Diamonds

The cut and symmetry of a diamond affect its radiance, making them the most important factors to consider when choosing a diamond since we mostly purchase diamonds for their scintillation.

GIA grades the quality of all diamond cuts from poor to excellent. The higher the excellent proportion the cut has, the more expensive it becomes compared to other fancy cuts with similar features.

This chart will help you ascertain the cut quality of the round diamond you desire.

	Table %	Girdle	Culet	Pavilion Depth	Depth	Crown angle	Length to width ratio
Poor	<50 or >69	Extremely thin to extremely thick	>Medium	<39 or >48	<56.5 or >65	<29 or >40.5	>1.02
Fair	50 or 65-69	Very thin to very thick	Medium	39-40.9 or 45.6-48	56.5-57.4 or 64.2 -65	29-30 or 38-40.5	1.02
Good	51 or 61-64	Very thin to thick	Small	41-41.9 or 44-45.5	57.5-57.9 or 63.6-64.1	30.1-32 or 36-37.9	1.00-1.01
Very Good	52-53 or 58-60	Very thin to slightly thick	Very Small	42-42.7 or 43.5-43.9	58-58.9 or 62.4-63.5	32.1-33.9 or 35-35.9	1.00-1.01
Excellent	53-58	Thin to slightly thick	None	42.8-43.2	59-62.3	34-34.9	1.00-1.01

Clarity Guide for Round Diamonds

For round cut diamonds, like other diamond shapes, it is vital to understand if the diamond is eye-clean or flawless, weighing your preference as you wander. If you prefer stones without inclusions when magnified, paying a higher price for the value you want is inevitable.

This clarity table will guide you to select the most valuable round stones based on GIA grading standards.

Carat weight	<.50ct	.51-1.0ct	1.0-2.0ct	>2.0ct
Poor	>I2	>I2	>I1	>SI2
Fair	I2	I1-I2	I1	SI2
Good	I1	SI2	S1-SI2	SI1
Very Good	SI1-SI2	VS2-SI1	VS1-VS2	VS1-VS2
Excellent	FL-VS2	FL-VS1	FL-VVS2	FL-VVS2

Color Guide for Round Diamonds

Evaluating the color of a round cut diamond is more taxing, as round diamonds hide color tints better because they radiate brighter than any other shapes. With this advantage over others, some buyers might prefer the stones with a little tint, and others, simply clear colorless diamonds.

This chart should assist you in understanding your choices when you're out to buy your precious stones.

Carat weight	<.50ct	.51-1.0ct	1.0-2.0ct	>2.0ct
Poor	>M	>M	>L	>J
Fair	L-M	L-M	K-L	I-J
Good	J-K	J-K	H	H
Very Good	H-I	H-I	G-H	G
Excellent	D-G	D-G	D-F	D-F

It's also pertinent to note that round cut diamonds are relatively more expensive than other shapes due to the high demand.

You can now choose yourself a brilliant round cut diamond of great quality based on GIA grading, according to your budget and preference, and thoroughly inspecting the diamonds based on this guide. Go shine bright like a diamond.