Diamond Gift Guide

At its heart, a diamond’s cut defines its relationship with light. Every angle, facet, and polished surface dictates how effortlessly a stone captures an ambient room and transforms it into an exquisite display of fire and brilliance.

This definitive Reverra Jewels Cut Guide is designed to take you behind the glass. From the precision engineering that unlocks a stone’s maximum sparkle to the rigorous scientific grading scales used to measure it, you will discover exactly how master craftsmanship elevates a raw gemstone into a breathtaking lifelong heirloom.

REVERRA JEWELS | DIAMOND CUT GUIDE

The cut of a diamond is arguably the most crucial of the 4 Cs (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat). While nature dictates a diamond's clarity and color, its cut is entirely in the hands of a master craftsman. It is the cut that unlocks a diamond’s true beauty, transforming a rough stone into a breathtaking masterpiece of light and fire.

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How Are Diamonds Cut and Graded?

Diamonds are cut using specialized tools to facet and polish the stone, creating brilliance and symmetry. Because cut has such a direct impact on a diamond’s appearance, grading systems were developed to consistently evaluate cut quality.

These grading systems assess three key factors: appearance (brilliance, fire, scintillation), design (proportions), and craftsmanship (polish and symmetry). While the criteria are similar, most independent institutes use their own terminology to grade the overall cut of a diamond.

At Brilliant Earth, we also use specific scale language to help our customers understand the subtle differences in cut that affect price and quality. We base our scale on the cut specifications provided by the certifying gemological laboratory and grade diamonds from Super Ideal to Ideal, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. This means that, for example, a GIA-certified diamond with an Excellent cut grade will be listed as a Super Ideal or Ideal diamond on the Brilliant Earth site.

DIAMOND CUT QUALITY FACTOR

When grading a diamond's cut, gemological laboratories like the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) don't just look at the stone's depth or width. They evaluate a complex interplay of physical proportions and craftsmanship.

At Reverra Jewels, we break these down into two main categories: Proportional Factors (how the diamond is shaped to handle light) and Craftsmanship Factors (the care taken during the cutting process).

1. Proportional Factors (The Physics of Light)

Proportions are the relative measurements of the diamond's facets and angles. Even a fraction of a millimeter can completely change how light behaves inside the stone.

Table Percentage: The table is the large, flat facet on the very top of the diamond. Its size is calculated as a percentage of the diamond's total width. If the table is too large or too small, light cannot enter or exit at the correct angles.
Total Depth Percentage: This is the height of the diamond (from the top table to the bottom tip) relative to its total width.Too shallow causes light to leak out the bottom.Too deep causes light to leak out the sides, making the diamond look dark and smaller than its actual carat weight.
Crown Angle: The crown is the upper sloped part of the diamond above the girdle. The angle of the crown heavily influences fire—the rainbow-colored flashes of light.
Pavilion Angle: The pavilion is the lower cone-shaped part of the diamond below the girdle. The pavilion angle is the most critical factor for brilliance (white light return). If it is off by even $0.5^\circ$, the sparkle drops dramatically.
Girdle Thickness: The girdle is the outer rim where the top and bottom of the diamond meet. A girdle that is too thin makes the diamond fragile and prone to chipping, while a girdle that is too thick traps dead weight in the middle of the stone without adding visual size.
Culet Size: The culet is the tiny facet at the very bottom tip of the diamond. Ideally, the culet should be "None" or "Very Small" so it is invisible to the naked eye. A large culet allows light to escape straight through the bottom, appearing like a dark hole in the center of the stone.

2. Craftsmanship Factors (The Artisan's Touch)

Once the ideal proportions are mapped out, the master cutter must execute the design with flawless physical execution. This is evaluated through two main metrics on a grading report:

Symmetry

Symmetry refers to how precisely the diamond’s facets align and intersect with one another.

What to look for: In a perfectly symmetrical diamond, all facets are uniform in size, the table is perfectly centered, and the culet aligns exactly opposite the center of the table.
The Impact: Poor symmetry distorts the path of light, sending reflections off-course and muting the diamond's natural sparkle.

Polish

Polish is the smoothness of the diamond's exterior surface facets after the cutting process is complete.

What to look for: During the polishing phase, microscopic surface imperfections like wheel marks, scratches, or abrasions can be left behind.
The Impact: Think of polish like a clean window. A diamond with an "Excellent" polish allows light to pass through completely unobstructed, maximizing its crisp, glass-like reflection.

The Reverra Quality Standard

Every factor listed above works in unison. A slight deviation in the pavilion angle can sometimes be compensated for by a tighter crown angle, which is why diamond cut grading requires highly advanced optical scanning technology.

At Reverra Jewels, we meticulously vet our inventory to ensure that the proportions, symmetry, and polish work together flawlessly, delivering a diamond that maximizes light performance and commands attention from every angle.