The cut gives a great diamond its edge

People often think the cut refers to the shape of a diamond. Yet the cut grade is actually a measure of how brilliantly the facets reflect light.

In other words, the cut is responsible for the ‘Oh wow, I can’t believe how much it sparkles’ factor. The better the cut, the more intense the sparkle… the brilliance…the sheer I-want-one-like that appeal of a diamond. If you like the idea of stopping conversations in the office and outshining everybody else at the party, focus on the cut.  

 

How the cut makes a diamond sparkle

When light penetrates a diamond it bounces around inside, reflects from within and finally returns to your eye. That is the sparkle you see. The way a diamond is cut directly influences this performance of light. The angles, locations, sizes and shapes of the facets. The proportions, symmetry and polish. All help to determine just how much, or how little, a diamond sparkles. The better the cut, the higher the level of precision, skill and workmanship required. That’s why the cut is so absolutely crucial to a diamond’s beauty and value.  

 

GIA cut gradings

The quality and skill of the cut ranges from Poor to Excellent on official Gemological Institute of America (GIA) gradings – based on standard round brilliant diamonds. The GIA evaluates how beautifully a diamond interacts with light to create the jaw-dropping effects you dream of. Brightness: the internal and external reflection of white light. Fire: the fragmentation of white light into all the colours of the rainbow. Scintillation: the sheer amount of sparkle. GIA cut grades also take account of design and craftsmanship, symmetry of the facets, and quality of the polish. Excellent is the highest grade and is met only by the the top 3% of the world’s diamonds. Diamonds with an Excellent grade are masterfully crafted and precisely cut to emit the maximum sparkle and brilliance.

An excellent cut means optimal light return.
Montluc standard is Triple Excellent.

Our triple excellent cut is the best there is

For Montluc, though, excellent isn’t quite excellent enough. We are extremely rare in only ever using a standard of quality that goes one step further. Two, actually. Our Triple Excellent cut is the best there is. It ensures that every single diamond is impeccably polished and aligned as well as perfectly cut. 1. Excellent POLISH No tiny scratches and not even the slightest flaw guarantees the perfect polish on all 57 facets. 2. Excellent SYMMETRY Every angle of every facet is perfectly aligned. 3. Excellent CUT The highest quality, most skilled cut possible. Only. Always. It’s painstaking, it’s expensive and it’s why most brands won’t buy diamonds of this quality as the cost is so high.  

 

Brilliant cut

By the way, Montluc only uses the Brilliant cut. After 150 years of experimenting, experts have found that the 57 facets of the Brilliant cut offer more sparkle than any other cut.

» Next: Why is colour not about the colour?

Montluc » The cut gives a great diamond its edge

Small diamonds

Our small diamonds under 0.20ct all meet the top grades.
Colour: D-F
Clarity: Flawless to VVS2
Cut: Always Triple Excellent

Open gradings chart under 0.20ct
Montluc » The cut gives a great diamond its edge Montluc standard for diamonds - diamond grading schema
Montluc » The cut gives a great diamond its edge

Large diamonds

Our larger diamonds over 0.20ct all meet the very top grades.
Colour: D
Clarity: Internally Flawless
Cut: Always Triple Excellent

Open gradings chart over 0.20ct
Montluc » The cut gives a great diamond its edge Montluc standard for diamonds - diamond grading schema