Which Diamond Cut Sparkles the Most, And Why?

Ever wonder what makes one diamond sparkle brighter than the next?

It's all about the cut. Raw diamonds don't come out of the earth blasting scintillating rays, in fact, they come out of the earth looking rough and dull. The magic happens when a skilled cutter works their craft, unlocking that coveted diamond brilliance. 

The Anatomy of Sparkle: Inside a Round Brilliant Diamond

The round brilliant diamond is most popular diamond cut, and for a good reason. It boasts 57 or 58 facets - the most of any diamond cut. These facets work together to reflect light and break it into beautiful colors, making the diamond shine with both bright light (brilliance) and rainbow flashes (fire). Here's a quick overview as to what makes this look special:

• Table: This is the large, flat facet on the top, acting as a window into the diamond's interior. It's the biggest facest and plays a big role in how light enters and exits the stone. 
• Crown: The upper section above the girdle, with facets that angle up toward the table. The crown is essential for bending light to enhance sparkle and fire. 
• Girdle: This is the widest part of the diamond, separating the crown from the pavilion below. It provides the setting edge for jewelry and helps balance the stone's overall shape. 
• Pavilion: The lower part that reflects light back up through the table. It's responsible for that deep, mesmerizing sparkle when you look straight into the diamond. 
• Culet: A tiny facet at the very bottom that protects the tip of the pavilion. In modern cuts, it's often so small that it's barely visible, so it doesn't detract from the diamond's brilliance. 

Chasing the Ideal Cut Diamond

In the early 20th Century, Mark Tolkowsky used math and optics to create what we now know as the "round brilliant" cut. His work set the standard for what's called the "ideal cut", designed to reflect almost all the light entering the diamond. 

Ideal cut diamonds have specific proportions, including:

• Table Percentage: The ideal range is 53% to 58% of the diamond's total width. 
• Crown Angle: Typically between 34° and 35°.
• Pavilion Angle: Usually around 40.6° to 41°.
• Girdle Thickness: Should be thin to slightly thick - just enough for strength without adding unnecessary weight. 

More Than One Way to Sparkle

In 1998, Hemphill and his team discovered with advanced 3D modeling that you don't have to stick to the classic "ideal cut" to achieve stunning light performance. Introducing the idea of Weighted Light Return, they found that the traditional ideal cut isn't the only path to optimized light play. 

By playing with different angles and facet sizes, cutters can fine-tune a diamond's brilliance to match or even exceed traditional standards.

In other words, fancy cut diamonds can sparkle just as much as round brilliant cut. 

A Balancing Act: Sparkle vs. Fire

Some diamonds look like they're glowing from within. Dodson (1978) found that tweaking the diamond's proportions, especially the pavilion and table, can shift the balance between sparkle and fire. It's all about getting the right mix to bring out the best in each stone. 

Fancy Cuts Can Sparkle, Too

While round brilliant diamonds often steal the spotlight, other shapes like princess, oval and Asscher cuts can deliver stunning light performance. In 2007, researching Yuan Xin-quiang used 3D modeling to show that fancy cuts can have their own "ideal" proportions. So don't be afraid to think outside the traditional engagement ring box and go for a unique diamond cut. 

Explore all diamond shapes here.

At TACORI, any engagement ring setting can accommodate any center stone, so you can choose the diamond that catches your eye. Which might be the traditional round brilliant, or something unique.  

Be sure to read all of our diamond shape guides below, and learn how to find right cut for your center stone. 

The Shape Guide: Marquise Cut Diamonds
The Shape Guide: Emerald Cut Diamonds
The Shape Guide: Oval Cut Diamonds
The Shape Guide: Princess Cut Diamonds
The Shape Guide: Pear Cut Diamonds
The Shape Guide: Oval Cut Diamonds