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Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers

Unusual Fancy Diamond Cuts and Shapes

May 23, 2010 | Updated May 23, 2010 14:50 by BethA

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Diamonds are perhaps the most popular of all precious gemstone. Diamond embedded jewelry such as diamond necklaces and pendants, diamond bracelets, diamonds rings and diamond earrings is considered to be extravagant and luxurious, sentimental and intimate. Nowadays, diamond manufacturers are looking for new and innovative ways in which to design diamond jewelry which will be timelessly elegant, as well as current and hip, jewelry which will be in keep with the modern diamond markets. As such, more and more diamond producers are experimenting with unusual and unique diamond cuts such as the prince cut, the modern European cut, the moon cut, etc.

What is a Diamond's Cut?

Diamond cut refers to the aesthetic, symmetry and proportion of the precious gemstone. The diamond's unique anatomy (its pavilion, crown, girdle, table and cutlet) and the way in which it is cut and faceted directly affects the manner in which light travels within the diamond's structure and how it will be reflected back to the eye of the beholder. If done properly, a diamond's cut maximizes the precious gemstone's natural beauty and brilliance by emphasizing the diamond's best qualities and attributes. Diamond cut is one of the most important factors considered when determining the value of a diamond. The GIA grades diamonds as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Excellent diamond cuts are exceedingly rare and valuable. As such, jewelry set with diamonds of this particular cut grade is highly sought after and is considered to be extremely luxurious.

 Modern Diamond Cuts vs. Antique Diamond Cuts

Historically, diamond cutters were limited to a few diamond cuts and shapes (such as the round brilliant diamond cut or the old mine diamond cut). Nowadays, groundbreaking diamond cutting technologies have enabled the manufacturing of exceedingly unusual and unique fancy cut diamonds. Laser cutting technologies and a variety of computer programs meant to help in visualizing and designing diamond cut are implemented in the production of intricate and unique diamond cuts. Generally speaking, modern cuts are characterized by large tables, round girdles and shallower crowns, which give the illusion of a larger diamond, and maximize the diamond's brilliance, while antique cuts produced a narrower, less brilliant, diamond. Also, modern cuts were designed to preserve and make use of as much of the diamond's raw material as possible. On the other hand, antique cuts were considered quite wasteful.

Unusual Fancy Diamond Cuts

Unusual fancy cut diamonds are an appealing alternative to traditional cuts such as the round brilliant cut. Unique fancy diamond cuts are fashioned to conserve the diamond's brilliance by preventing light leaking from the table or girdle of the diamond and maximizing the amount of light reflected off of the diamond's face. Therefore, unusual cut diamonds are considered as high in quality as conventional diamond cuts. For instance, the prince cut diamond, designed and developed by the Avi Paz Group, is an adaptation of the conventional emerald cut. This particular unusual diamond cut is meant as an improvement to the emerald cut, which exhibits 57 facets, while the new prince diamond cut possesses 111 facets, which serve to enhance the diamond's natural beauty and brilliance. Unusual diamond cuts are extremely trendy and unique, as well as visually and optically appealing. Unusual fancy diamond cuts come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes including, for example, moon cut diamonds, starburst cut diamonds, firerose cut diamonds, pie cut diamonds, moonglow cut diamonds, etc. Consequentially, consumers now have a wide array of innovative and unique diamond jewelry styles and designs from which to choose.