Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds 101
Round diamonds are the most popular diamond shape, making up nearly three-quarters of all diamond sales worldwide. Known for their brilliance and stunning beauty, round cut diamonds offer fire, brilliance, and scintillation that is unattainable by other shapes.
WHAT IS A ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND?
The shape of a round cut diamond is made up of 57 or 58 facets (sides), including the culet – the flat face on the bottom of the diamond. The culet is the tiny point at the base of the diamond. In a uniformly cut diamond, the facets should meet at a perfect point – these diamonds will have no culet. When a culet is present, the diamond is referred to as having 58 facets.
The brilliant cut diamond utilizes its facets to reflect white light particularly well. With this diamond cut, angles and proportions work together to reflect light brilliantly. Brilliant cut diamonds are classified as having a medium to large culet, and a lower half that is 65 percent or less of the total length of the diamond. For modern jewelry with a beautiful sparkle, round brilliant cut round diamonds are an excellent choice.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS?
Rounded shapes for diamonds have been used as cuts for many years, with popular examples today being the rose cut and old mine cut. But fully circular shapes weren’t possible or popular until the invention of the bruting machine in the late 1800s. This machine allowed for diamonds to be cut in a completely circular shape rather than a shape that resembles a modern day cushion cut. With this invention, the first known round diamond cut was established, the old European cut.
The round brilliant cut that we know today developed many years after the European cut and looks significantly different. Actually, the round brilliant 58-facet cut didn’t come about until around 1919, when Marcel Tolkowsky published his thesis “Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond.” Tolkowsky basically created a mathematical formula for cutting diamonds proportionally. Over time, thanks to advances in technology, Tolkowsky’s formula has been altered to perfection.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
Considering Symmetry & Polish
When it comes to a diamond’s finish — it’s symmetry and polish — you don’t want to skimp. It may seem like an extra, but it’s very important to your diamond’s beauty. Symmetry is how well all those little facets are aligned and perfected, and polish is just that. Are the surfaces smooth, with no trace of the cutting process. A little misalignment or poor polish can result in, well, a not so pretty stone.
Considering Proportions
A diamond’s proportions — the crown and pavilion angles, the size and placement of its facets — are pretty major too. Cut too shallow or too deep and light will just leak right out of the diamond instead of sparkling back to your eye. Remember, all those tiny facets act like mirrors, bouncing light around. If any of them are out of line, then light goes somewhere else.
Considering Diamond Quality
Turn to the 4C's of diamond quality when shopping for an round brilliant cut diamond.
ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND & THE 4C'S
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Round Briliant Cut Diamond: Cut
When choosing a round diamond, cut is the most important attribute of the 4Cs that you need to pay attention to. This is because cut quality determines a diamond’s sparkle factor and has the biggest impact on its visual appearance.
When gemological labs like GIA grade round diamonds for cut quality, they assign ratings that range from Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. At Devon's Diamonds & Decor, we only recommend shopping for round brilliant cut diamonds with an Excellent cut grade.
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Round Brilliant Cut Diamond: Color
Due to their facet pattern and cutting style, round diamonds are able to reflect more light than any other diamond shape. This means that the color tint of a round diamond can be concealed by the sparkle and you don’t need a high color grade to get an icy white appearance.
Evaluating color in round diamonds is entirely dependent on the preference of its buyer or wearer. Customers sometimes prefer the warmer tones of color grades G-H to the rare, icy cool tones of color grades D-F, especially when set in rose or yellow gold. The truth is, the difference between these two color grade ranges is difficult to perceive in round diamonds, especially to the naked eye.
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Round Brilliant Cut Diamond: Clarity
Again, clarity is dependent on personal preference. When diamonds are formed deep in the earth, they develop clarity characteristics–slight irregularities visible under 10x magnification. Depending on the size, quantity, placement, tone or color of these clarity characteristics, they may or may not be visible to the naked eye. This is one of the reasons why a truly flawless diamond is so rare.
Some people may be entirely comfortable with a diamond that features many clarity characteristics that aren’t visible to the naked eye, while others may insist on a technically flawless appearance. To ensure the brilliance and fire that makes diamonds so enchanting, we recommend going with SI1 clarity grades or higher.
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Round Brilliant Cut Diamond: Carat Weight
BEST ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND RING SETTINGS
Round brilliant cut diamonds are extremely versatile and can go well with almost any type of ring setting design due to their geometric shape. Since the round shape is the most popular choice for engagement rings, there is no lack of designs.
SOLITAIRE SETTING FOR ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
Solitaire engagement rings consist of a single center diamond mounted in a classic and simple setting. The solitaire ring with a round brilliant cut diamond is known to be one of the most simple engagement rings yet remains elegant and timeless.
(Click here to view the ring pictured above.)
BEZEL-SET SOLITAIRE SETTING FOR ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
Bezel-set engagement rings keep your round brilliant diamond snug inside a solid frame of precious metal. These rings are an exceptional all-around choice if you’re looking to marry an active lifestyle with the beauty of a modern band.
(Click here to view the ring pictured above.)
HALO SETTING FOR ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
A gorgeous halo of smaller stones makes a round brilliant diamond sparkle even more. A halo setting can add character and size to any round diamond.
(Click here to view the ring pictured above.)
VINTAGE-STYLE SETTING FOR ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
For those who appreciate antique style, there are a myriad of vintage round cut engagement rings. The intricate design can enhance a round brilliant cut stone.
(Click here to view the ring pictured above.)
SINGLE ROW SETTING FOR ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND
Single row engagement rings featuring a round brilliant diamond center are a simple, yet timeless design that features a single row of accent diamonds on either side of the ring band. Delicate and sophisticated this single row diamond engagement ring is perfectly wearable alone or stacked with other rings for a glamorous and trendy look.
(Click here to view the ring pictured above.)
ROUND BRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND JEWELRY
Besides engagement rings, round brilliant cut diamonds look great in other types of fine jewelry as well. You can go for a pair of classic round brilliant cut diamond stud earrings. You can opt for a round brilliant cut diamond tennis bracelet or even go with a simple solitaire round brilliant cut diamond pendant with a halo of round diamonds around it. No matter what you choose, round cut diamonds are an excellent way to feature your classy style! Stop by Devon's Diamonds & Decor in Boca Raton to talk to us about custom designing a beautiful piece of round cut diamond jewelry.
Curious about what other diamond shapes there are?
Check out our Diamond Shapes 101 blog post!
