To best answer the question of which diamond cut has the greatest number of facets, we believe that it is necessary to explain the role of cuts, the importance they give to the product, and reflect on the diamond’s appearance.
The four C’s are often associated with the notion of a diamond and include cut, carat, clarity, and color, and it is also something you need to pay special attention to if you want to get a “full package.”
There are various shapes of diamonds cut in a special way to not only provide a beautiful look but also to give a perfect shine. The answer to this question is pretty simple – a round brilliant cut has the most facets, but what sets that cut apart from the others?
Let’s find out!
Famous Four C’s
As we mentioned at the beginning, the four C’s are something that gives the diamond value and a more flawless look. The name “four C’s” comes up because each of the components, as you might have guessed, begins with the letter C.
Let’s go through each of them together.
First C – Cut
The diamond’s cut quality plays the most important role in its appearance.
The cut of a diamond can have a variety of effects on the stone. Cut itself determines how gleaming and shining a stone is, how much it sparkles, and how clean and precise it appears. Most importantly, the cut defines how much the diamond costs.
The GIA assigns one of four cut categories to each diamond. The cut grade of a diamond determines not only its brilliance but also its price.
Here’s what to expect from each cut if all factors include the following things – how it appears, how the light plays through it, and how rare the diamond is:
- Excellent: This is the highest grade, indicating that the diamond belongs to the top 3% of all diamonds in the world. Excellent cut diamonds are made expertly and precisely to produce the most sparkle and bright diamonds. Last but not least- As the light goes inside, there is little to no light leakage. Due to the mentioned characteristics, this type of diamond costs the most.
- Very good: This is the following classification of excellent graded diamonds, and the diamonds in this category also have outstanding cut quality. These diamonds also have low light leakage factors, making them the best option for exceptional quality diamonds if one’s budget is a little tighter. The top 15% of the world’s diamonds usually belong to this group, therefore the rarity of these stones should never be questioned.
- Good: The top 25% of diamonds have a cut grade of Good or above. Diamonds of this quality capture light nicely and have a lot of radiance. Light leakage occurs in well-cut diamonds, but they nevertheless shine brightly.
- Fair and Poor: Diamonds with significant light leakage are given a Fair or Poor grade. The light leakage coefficients of such diamonds are extremely high, resulting in a lower brilliance. Proportionately, diamonds belonging to this category cost the least.
Second C – Carat
What is the carat, and what role does it play when it comes to diamonds? The basic definition would probably be similar to this: A carat is a weight unit used to determine the size of a gemstone like a diamond.
Simply put, the carat helps to determine the quality of the diamond itself – a higher number of carats will be reflected in a higher quality but, of course, also a higher price.
Third C – Clarity
When choosing a diamond, it is necessary to pay special attention to the third part of the famous C’s known as clarity. Diamond clarity refers to the presence and visible appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond known as inclusions, as well as surface imperfections known as blemishes.
Last C – Color
As for the color itself, you can make an assessment of the quality of a diamond very easily. So, the highest quality diamonds are the ones that have no color at all. On the other hand, the more color (which includes brown and yellow) represents a lower quality of the diamond.
Diamond Cuts That Have the Most Facets
Finally, we come to what our readers are probably most interested in. Which few cuts of diamonds are the most valuable and expensive?
Let’s take a look at a few that we’ve singled out for you:
- Round Brilliant Diamond
- Cushion-Cut Diamond
- Princess-Cut Diamond
- Emerald-Cut Diamond
- Oval Shape Diamond
- Radiant-Cut Diamond
- Pear Shape Diamond
To give you a chance to get better acquainted with the above, we have described the shapes and what makes them unique.
Round Brilliant Diamond
The Round Brilliant is the most popular cut, with 58 precisely aligned facets that truly outshine the others. What sets round brilliant diamonds apart from all others is total internal reflection. The simplest way to explain this is that light flows through the stone, resulting in maximum glitter and scintillation.
Previously, it was assumed that a diamond’s facet could only reflect light rays twice. However, the facets of current round brilliant cut diamonds may now reflect light more than twice, proving that this is no longer the case.
It is the pinnacle of diamond cut achievement, and as a result, it is more expensive than any other diamond cut. You can’t go wrong with this diamond – it looks stunning in any setting and is the ultimate classic engagement ring.
Cushion-Cut Diamond
Another form of diamond that deserves our attention is the cushion cut. This shape overshadowed even the famous Princess cut, and its popularity has not stopped growing since the previous year.
This cut is a cross between the round brilliant cut and a princess; it is a softer square or rectangle shape, a little like a cushion or pillow – therefore the name! This shape is extremely popular when it comes to engagement/wedding rings.
The cushion cut also consists of 58 facets.
Related Read: Antique Cushion Cut Vs Modern Cushion Cut
Princess-Cut Diamond
We already mentioned this one – the princess diamond, Although it is no longer in the second place, which is occupied due to its exceptional quality, it is necessary to pay attention to it.
This diamond cut is a wonderful eye-catcher for individuals who love angles. The square form gives your diamond a modern look and can be in two different shapes – either the square or compass point orientation;
If you ask us, we would opt for a princess diamond cut because of its irresistible and modern shape. This diamond cut can have as little as 50 facets, but the standard that all diamonds with this cut hold is 58 facets similar to some of our previous picks.
Emerald-Cut Diamond
The fact is that fashion today is defined by celebrities and their personal choices. When it comes to the Emerald Cut diamond, it is necessary to mention that even Beyonce, one of the most popular singers today, wears and adores it.
The Emerald cut is one of the most classic diamond cuts available. It’s elegant and beautiful, especially because it’s encouraged to go for better colors and clarities; an emerald cut has no hiding places.
The cutting style is known as a step cut, and it produces a hall of mirror image rather than the whole internal reflection that a circle produces. Unlike the round brilliant diamond, the emerald-cut typically consists of 57 facets.
Oval Shape Diamond
The oval is a softer form that is slightly longer than the round but has a comparable glitter. It has 58 facets as well! It is an excellent choice for elongating the finger because it is slightly longer than the round but has a similar sparkle.
Ovals are usually cut from shallower diamonds to make the most of the rough stone, but this stunning cut of the diamond is anything but rough!
Radiant Cut Diamond
Immediately after the oval-shaped diamonds comes the famous radiant cut. The question that is often asked is: what is the difference between these and round brilliant cuts? Other than the obvious one which reflects at the price.
Radian cut is a superb combination of crisp lines and sparkle, cut halfway between an emerald and a brilliant. The radiant cut, however, has more facets than the round brilliant cut. The number of facets in the radiant cut is 70.
It doesn’t quite match the brilliance of the first one. This cut is distinguished by its unique shape. When measured diagonally, the radian cut appears bigger than the round cut. Also, when we compare their carat size, it appears this one is larger.
Pear Shape Diamond
In the end, we left one of our favorite shapes. Although it may not be in the top three most sought after, this shape attracts much attention with its appearance. The pear cut diamond gained popularity in 2016; whether set in a solitaire design or with pave shoulders, it is always a great choice.
How best to describe this beautiful shape? A pear shape is an exquisite form that lends an air of old-school glamor to your jewelry. Although its name is associated with pear because of its shape, we prefer to say that it reminds us of a tear.
Similar to some of the cuts on this list, the pear shaped diamond has 58 facets.
Find The Perfect Diamond Within Your Price Range
It is not difficult to agree with the statement that the price is proportional to the quality – especially not when it comes to diamonds. The four C’s that we mentioned several times in the article and including cuts, colors, carats, and clarity, are certain factors that affect the price.
We also pointed out that if a diamond has no color, it is of better quality than any that contains colors (that are most often yellow and brown). Therefore, colorless diamonds are always more expensive than colored ones.
Their shape or cut also affects how the value of the diamond will be estimated. It often happens that certain diamonds are popular and therefore the price will be higher. We have selected a table with prices for you, depending on the factors mentioned above. Let’s take a look at it:
Average Diamond Prices- G color
SHAPE | 0.50 Ct | 1 Ct | 1.20 Ct | 1.50 Ct | 2 Ct |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round-Cut Diamond | $1.749 | $7.291 | $9.237 | $13.661 | $26.683 |
Princess-Cut Diamond | $1.284 | $4.799 | $6.794 | $10.570 | $20.450 |
Oval Shape Diamond | $1.204 | $5.462 | $7.431 | $11.875 | $23.861 |
Emerald-Cut Diamond | $1.023 | $4.476 | $6.221 | $9.571 | $23.513 |
Starting from the most expensive, we have shown in the table above, depending on the carats the diamond contains, the approximate prices at which they sell.
As you can guess, the round cut diamond has the highest price, while it is surprising that the princess cut diamond with two carats costs the cheapest.
Related Read: What Is The Cheapest Cut Of Diamond?
Suppose you are interested in prices for diamond shapes (or carats) that we have not singled out. In that case, you can find them at this link: Diamond Price List – How Much Is A 0.1 To 40 Carat Diamond Worth?
Final Thoughts
Although in this article we have provided you with as much information about diamonds, their cut, appearance, and many other things, we hope we have succeeded in answering the original question:
Which diamond cut has the greatest number of facets?
We single out round brilliant cut because it is certainly the most sought after, highest quality, and the most popular one. We also tried to signify more fine cuts such as radiant cut, cushion, princess, oval, and a few more.
Higher quality is always associated with a higher price, especially when it comes to diamonds. If you choose a diamond by yourself, do not forget to look back at the famous rule of the four C’s to make the right decision.
We hope you enjoyed reading the article as much as we did while writing it!
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