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Ideal Cuts

Diamond cutters use two types of raw stones: mined diamonds
 or human-made ones <a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/lab-grown-diamonds/">grown in a laboratory</a>. Either way, the stone is called rough
 for a reason. It has very little sparkle, if any, in the raw state, is
 shapeless, and requires extensive polishing.<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/diamond-depth-and-table/" target="_blank"><img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/img-1692467985.jpeg" alt="round cut depth and table" width="532px" height="284px" title="round cut depth and table" style="width: 532px; height: 284px;"></a>

The <a href="https://www.petragems.com/round-cut-diamonds/">round cut</a> requires the removal of a significant portion
 of the rough stone when cutting it into shape. An estimated 60 percent of the
 raw stone is cut away to achieve a crisp round cut with smooth edges. The
 portion of the rough diamond crystal chopped off usually ends up as a waste—a
 by-product.

Developing a round cut leads to losing a
 significant amount of rough stone compared to the next most expensive cut (<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/princess-cut-diamonds">princess cut</a>), which
 only loses about 20 percent.

Using laser-cutting machines, which require extreme
 skill, does not make much difference. The heavy raw material usage and
 cutting skills required profoundly impact the price per carat of round cut
 diamonds.

Reasons Why Round Cut Diamonds are Expensive

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the shape of a stone does
 not have anything to do with the cut. If anything, the cut parameters cause the
 diamond to assume a rounded shape. For the most part, diamond cutters meticulously
 develop all the proportions of a round cut to achieve a brilliant cut.<a href="https://www.petragems.com/ideal-cut-diamond-proportions/" target="_blank"><img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/img-1688238559.jpeg" alt="ideal cut proportions" width="623px" height="273px" title="ideal diamond proportions" style="width: 623px; height: 273px;"></a>

A brilliant cut maximizes the diamond’s light performance,
 meaning a round brilliant cut is one coveted stone. Round diamonds have
 several cut proportions that line the crown, girdle, and pavilion, each
 determining the cut grade that a diamond exhibits.

Brilliant round cuts have 57 facets—the various surfaces of
 a diamond—on the upper and lower body. If the cutter includes a culet (flat
 face at the bottom of a diamond), the total facet count comes to 58. Brilliant
 round cuts have the most facets of all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/diamond-shapes/">diamond shapes</a>,
 with the highest light reflection and refraction levels.The GIA grades round cuts into several classes, including
 (in descending order):



Excellent cut:&nbsp;A perfect round cut is the best cut
 classification. The stone cut along these lines will possess enormous sparkle
 and brilliance. The dance of light as it bounces off the facets is impeccable,
 and there is zero light leakage as it passes through the diamond.

Very Good cut: Tiny light sips from the round
 diamonds designated the very good cut grade. They have slightly lower fire and
 sparkle when compared to the excellent cut round stones. A very good round cut is&nbsp;handy when you want to leave more room for color and clarity in your
 diamond budget.

Good: The round cut is still expensive when cut to good
 <a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/emerald-cut-diamonds/">proportions</a>. Round diamonds in this cut grade fly off the shelf the most
 (around 25 percent of round diamond sales). The good round cut helps to bridge
 the gap between having the most diamond sparkle and not having to break your
 wallet.

Poor cut: No cutter in their right mind will go to the
 length of developing a poor cut round stone. Diamond production is expensive
 and time-consuming. More importantly, it is a well-respected craft. Unless you
 are dealing with a quack, you will hardly see a poor cut stone, let alone a
 poor round cut.

That is because poorly cut stones have the highest light
 leakage and an out-of-place brilliance due to overly deep or shallow cut
 proportions. Top vendors like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/whiteflash-review/">Whiteflash</a>&nbsp;and Brian Garvin do not stock poor cut
 diamonds.

Of the 4cs, Cut Matters Most

You can buy a cut and polished diamond from a vendor or
 have a jeweler customize one. Assuming you act per the latter option and start
 with a loose diamond before getting a hand-crafted setting, what C can you
 maximize? The jeweler or cutter can only maximize the cut or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/education/diamond-carat-weight/">carat weight</a>.

With diamonds, big is not always better. A full-frontal
 approach towards carat weight will get you a fairly large stone, but you risk
 it being dull, especially if the cut quality is not the best. Instead, you will
 be better off ordering a standard-sized stone, 0.5ct to 1ct, with an ideal or
 excellent cut.<a href="https://www.petragems.com/round-engagement-rings/" target="_blank"><img src="https://admin.petragems.com/api/Images/img-1688143945.jpeg" alt="round shape diamond in a swirl engagement ring" width="397" title="round diamond in engagement ring" height="256"></a>

But if you cannot afford an excellent round cut, an ideal
 round cut is the closest you can get to an excellent grade. Besides, ideal
 round cuts are the highest cut classification in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.petragems.com/ags-diamond-certification/">AGS</a>&nbsp;cut to scale
 and help to remove excess weight, especially around the diamond’s girdle. An
 ideal round diamond can reduce the per carat cost without necessarily affecting
 brilliance and overall appearance.

However, do not confine yourself to this analogy. The
 bigger and more excellently cut the round diamond, the more prominent the
 sparkle, fire, and brilliance. A 5ct ideal round cut stone may be smaller than
 a quarter-dollar coin but still relatively big. If you can afford it, by all
 means, knock yourself out.

Round Cut Diamonds Shine the Brightest

Diamond vendors sell more round cut diamonds than any other
 type of diamond cut. According to diamond industry statistics, the majority of
 diamond engagement rings sold in the US have a round cut center stone.

Round cut stones make up approximately 70-75 percent of
 ready-to-sell diamonds in the market. It makes sense given that the round cut
 is one of the earliest developed brilliant cuts, one reason vendors and buyers
 are fond of it.

Upstream diamond supply chain players (wholesalers and
 retailers) are always ready to pay a premium price for gem worthy round
 diamonds. They know that inventory turnover for round cut diamonds is quick
 whether the stone is loose or mounted on a setting.

In the same vein, the high sales of round cut diamonds mean
 an ever-surging demand force. It is almost certain that a round cut stone will
 cost more than any of the other diamond cuts. A round cut stone that has a low
 4Cs quality rating can fetch as much as a princess cut stone with an impressive
 diamond report.

For instance, at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/all-diamonds/?Cut=TrueHearts/?a_aid=5c83f22427304" rel="nofollow" class="external">James Allen</a>, a 1ct round cut diamond (cut grade: good, color: K, clarity S1) is in the price
 range of a 1.2ct princess cut stone (cut grade: good, color: K, clarity: VVS2).
 The point is that the brilliance of round cut diamonds speaks for itself, and
 as long as the cut quality is not poor, they have more sparkle and fire than
 other diamond shapes.

The dance of white and colored light in a round cut diamond
 is intense. When exposed to a light source, it may not be easy to distinguish
 the stone’s fire from its body color. As a result, round cut diamonds have yet
 another trick.

The brilliance and sparkle of a round cut stone can hide
 inclusions in an SI1 or SI2 diamond. Such inclusions, especially tiny dark
 carbon crystals on the girdle and in the crown close to the table, would
 otherwise be easily visible to the naked eye.

The diamond development revolution that Marcel Tolkowsky
 started nearly ten decades ago through the “Diamond Design: A Study of the
 Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond” still lives on today.

Besides, the admiration surrounding the round cut and the
 proliferation of the modern round brilliant cut are likely to maintain the expensive status of round cut diamonds.

Round cut stones are the diamonds to buy when you want to
 make a jewelry statement. They are also a priority offering for the shopper
 looking to buy a diamond with an outstanding sparkle that will last well into
 the future.

The Popularity of the Round Shape

What first thought comes to mind when you picture a diamond?
    Hint: It should be something along the lines of "bling," and you are
    about to discover why.

4 Reasons Why Round Cut Diamonds are More Expensive

Sharif Khan

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