Diamond Cut
Although diamonds have been in existence for billions of years, it is only in recent history that man discovered a way in which to intensify a rough diamond’s beauty: By cutting various facets into it and polishing each of those facets to increase its brilliance.
Diamonds are known for their brilliant sparkle and the intensity in which they reflect light. A diamond’s cut is one of the most important (and visual) aspects to consider when grading a diamond, as it directly determines the diamond’s fire, brilliance and scintillation. Often confused with a diamond’s shape (round, princess, emerald, cushion, etc.) the cut of a diamond refers to how well the diamond has been cut and polished, regardless of its final shape.
What differentiates ‘cut’ from the other 4Cs is that it is not entirely determined by nature. A diamond is cut and polished at the hands of a master craftsman who ensures that each facet is polished to perfect proportion and symmetry. The more precise and scientifically calculated the cut, the more beautiful and captivating the diamond becomes. It takes a master diamond cutter hours of analysis before the cut that will yield the most beautiful and valuable diamond, is determined. The cutting and polishing process takes several days and is vitally important – even if a diamond is highly graded in all of the other 4Cs, a bad cut or polish will leave it looking dull and lacklustre.
“The beauty of a perfectly cut diamond is not just in its exquisite aesthetics, but in the way it makes you feel,” says Yair Shimansky, founder and CEO of Shimansky.
When choosing a diamond, have a look at the diamond certificate, which will state how the cut has been graded. A round brilliant cut diamond (the most popular diamond cut) is graded in the form of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor. A diamond that is cut too shallow will “leak” light out the bottom and if the cut is too deep, light will escape from the sides. In an ideal cut diamond with the correct proportions and symmetry, the light that enters the diamond is returned out of the table and crown of the diamond, giving it more fire, brilliance and scintillation.
Shimansky is renowned for several signature diamond cuts, such as the My Girl diamond and the Brilliant 10 diamond. The Shimansky My Girl diamond is the world’s first square cut diamond with a diamond-shaped table. One-of-a-kind, it offers the perfect balance of fire, brilliance and scintillation, and as much as half the rough stone is sacrificed to create the spellbinding My Girl cut.
The Brilliant 10 diamond was designed and developed by Yair Shimansky after extensive research in light behaviour and optics. Testimony to Shimansky’s constant pursuit of perfection, the Brilliant 10 diamond takes up to three times longer to cut and can only be polished by a handful of skilled diamond polishers. The essence of this patented cut is its ability to reflect the light that enters the diamond back through the table with little to no light leakage – a world first in the diamond industry. “This means the brilliant 10 diamond displays up to 25% more brilliance than a normal diamond and is up to two shades whiter in colour than its actual colour,” explains Yair Shimansky. Ten perfect hearts and ten perfect arrows make the Brilliant 10 the most brilliant cut diamond in the world, sought-after not only for its beauty, but also for its unique characteristics that cannot be found in any other diamond cut.
The true value of a Shimansky jewellery creation is only realised when it is worn by the person it is meant for.
Featured collection
MY GIRL
