Brilliant Cut Diamonds

The most popular cut for any diamond is the brilliant cut diamond. It was perfected over 80 years ago, and is considered to simply be the best cut of most diamonds. It is quite possible that the actual invention of the brilliant cut happened around 1700.

It was called at the time the Perruzzi cut which had 58 facets with 33 on the crown or the upper part, and 25 on the lower part or girdle. This is the same number of facets as the modern brilliant cut which leads some experts to believe the Perruzzi cut was actually an earlier brilliant cut.

In 1919 Marcel Tolkowsky developed a set of geometric calculations that have been used as the base for most of modern ideal cuts including the brilliant cut. It was a way to maximize the brilliance of the diamonds. The brilliance refers to the amount of light that is allowed to enter the stone as well as how the angles are cut into the stone to reflect back the light for the naked eye to see.

As a result of Tolkowsky’s calculations the diamonds were produced with better proportions by losing some of the initial weight and making it a more shallow stone, but not too shallow that the stone appears dark or dull looking. This stone then became known as the brilliant cut because of the amazing sparkle or what is known as the “fire” of the ring. Even now, after some improvements have been made to the proportions, any diamond that is similar to a Tolkowsky proportioned cut is considered to be a “Modern Brilliant Cut”.

Stones cut in the brilliant shape do not always have ideal proportions although they will always have 58 facets that reflect the light. The round brilliant diamond especially maximizes the gem’s sparkle or fire because of the natural shape in which it is polished. The diamonds are often octagonal which lends itself to the ease of creating a brilliant cut diamond. Most commonly the round brilliant diamond is used in a solitaire, with four-prong settings to show off the brilliance in the ring. Other brilliant cuts are recognized but are not nearly as popular as the round brilliant diamond.

Emerald shaped brilliant cut diamond is one that is easily recognizable that has its own unique beauty. The reason it is not as popular is because it has many flaws or inclusions that are more visible inside the diamonds. Then there is the princess shape brilliant cut that has a lot of fire but appears smaller than the other cuts of the same carat weight.

This is due to the depth of the stone. Opposite to that is the marquise brilliant cut that can actually appear larger than its carat weight because of the shallowness of its cut. There also can be brilliant cuts in the shape of pear, oval, and heart cuts possessing the standard 58 facets, but without as much sparkle as the other brilliant cuts.

The round brilliant cut gives the most sparkle by far and has the best overall appearance making it an automatic choice for most cutters. They are widely available in numerous settings and can be purchased from almost anywhere. Click here for a list of the best places to buy a diamond ring and discover who are the most reliable vendors in the industry.

Since the first brilliant cut was perfected over 80 years ago the ring is very popular with antique stores and estate sales where you can find gorgeous brilliant cut diamonds without the expense of the modern brilliant cuts. It really is a wonderful choice for any bride-to-be to have on her finger.