Diamond House - diamond cut

To get from the raw diamond to the cut gemstone it requires a skilled hand of a master cutter.

Proportions are everything. The better the proportions, the better the diamond handles light to create more sparkle. There are a number of shapes which diamonds traditionally take, depending on the original nature of the rough, uncut stone. Oval, round, pear, emerald, heart and marquise (as seen on the right) shapes are by far the most popular. It all comes down to what you like.

Note: The shape of a diamond is not its make. The make of Diamond is often referred to as its cut, or as its proportion and common diamond shapes are brilliant round, heart, oval, marquise, pear, princess, and emerald.

In my opinion all jewellers and diamond retailers should give you percentages or sizes that describe the depth and the table (top facet) of a stone - some do, particularly if the diamond is a brilliant round. Occasionally however, jewellers may ignore the "make" of a diamond when selling. Of course some Diamond retailers simply say they have only fine makes and leave it at that.

There are no international standards for "make", as there are for color and clarity and there is no dispute in the fact that the "make" of a stone affects the price. Within the diamond trade, you will find many different opinions when it comes to the "most desired" proportions or percentages. Some jewellers sell very poor makes of diamonds everyday under the guise of bargains.

Diamond Proportions

Diamond Shapes

Round brilliant diamond
Marquise diamond
Pear diamond
Oval diamond
Emerald diamond
Baguette diamond
Heart diamond

Please Note: When buying if you are comparing two stones of the same grade and size but have no reference to compare "makes", you are lessening your chances of an informed decision. I always advise my clients fully before a purchase. The relationship between seller and buyer is probably one of the most important factors in buying the perfect Diamond.

FAQ
Q: The diamond market does not seem transparent to me. How do I know that I am getting a fair deal?
A: I will tell you more: even to 90% of all jewellers this diamond market is not transparent at all!
It therefore takes a good deal of informing yourself about where to pay attention to.
Always bear in mind that when you think you can do the diamond deal of your life, you always get what you paid for! Fair prices exist (buy with me), bargains do not despite many others may try to convince you otherwise.

more FAQ's ...

Antwerp diamonds, flanders belgium