Cut. Many people automatically assume the cut of a diamond refers only to its shape. While important, when cut is discussed as a means of placing value on a diamond, it refers to the proportions, symmetry and polish of a diamond. This is often called make in the diamond trade. A diamond with a good make is bright, fiery, symmetrically cut, and dances or sparkles in the light.
There are three major parts of a polished diamond. Top to bottom, are the crown, the girdle, and the pavilion. Some polished diamonds have a very tiny flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion, called the culet. The large flat facet on the top of a polished diamond is called the table.
The distance from the bottom of the girdle to the culet is the pavilion depth. A pavilion depth that's too shallow or too deep will direct light away from the crown of the diamond. A well-cut diamond will direct more light through the crown where it is more visible to the observer.
Cutting a diamond to produce the maximum return of light depends on the interrelationship between all facets. These can be combined in many ways to yield equally bright round brilliant cut diamonds. There are also fancy shapes such as hearts and pears available.
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