Diamonds
We all know diamonds. But what is a diamond?
Specifically, a diamond is a transparent mineral consisting of carbon – and the hardest mineral we know of.
However, a diamond is not “just” a diamond, and the cost of each diamond is determined by the 4 C’s: carat, clarity, color and cut. We humans can not change the first three c’s, but the last c (cut), we can change and the goal of the cut is to get the best reflection of light in the diamond.
Popular diamond cuts
The most well-known cut of a diamond is brilliant cut, which dominates about 90% of today’s diamond market. A brilliant-cut diamond has (most often) 57 facets (cuts), and with these facets reflects the light in the most beautiful way. The first brilliant-cut diamonds were seen in the 1600s. However, the modern brilliant-cut diamond was first made in London in 1919.
Another very popular cut is single-cut diamonds, which like a brilliant-cut diamond have the shape of an “inverted iceberg” with a top and a pointed bottom. But where a brilliant-cut diamond usually has 57 facets, the single-cut diamond is a more raw cut – also known as an 8/8 octagonal cut – with eight facets + a facet on the top and eight facets on the pointed bottom. Due to the fewer cuts, single-cut diamonds are also cheaper than the brilliant-cut diamonds.
But there is many different cuts of diamonds – and they all have in common, they draw, sparkle and seduce…..