From rounds to marquise and every diamond shape in between, we will show you which diamond shapes have the best sparkle, tips on enhancing your diamonds sparkle and how to upgrade your diamonds.
Get answers to the following questions about diamond sparkle:
- Which diamond cut has the most sparkle?
- What makes a diamond sparkle?
- Top diamond shapes for the most sparkle
- How to enhance your diamonds sparkle
- How to upgrade your diamonds
Which Diamond Cut Has The Most Sparkle?
The round brilliant diamond has the most sparkle. Why? Because this shape is designed to maximize a diamonds ability to reflect light.
We have Marcel Tolkowsky to thank for this timeless diamond cut. All diamond cuts have specific facet patterns that influence the stones potential sparkle. In 1919, Tolkowsky dedicated his doctoral thesis at the University of London to determining the exact proportions of a diamond required to maximize light dispersion. When light can efficiently travel throughout a diamond, it creates a captivating sparkle.
Previously, diamond cutting was treated as an art form rather than an exact science. For instance, old-miner and old-European diamond cuts were measured and cut by hand. As the son of a diamond cutter, Tolkowsky knew that he could improve the standard of diamond cutting with his mastery of math and engineering. Tolkowsky created the ideal cut, a round diamond consisting of 58 perfectly proportioned diamond facets, forever revolutionizing diamond cutting.
What Makes A Diamond Sparkle?
There are two main factors that affect a diamonds sparkle: the shape of the stone and the quality of the cut. Round diamonds are the best shape for sparkle, and a high cut grade will help the stone to more easily reflect light and sparkle.
So what is a cut grade? A diamonds cut grade indicates the proportions and symmetry of a diamond which in turn influences how light travels throughout the stone. Only an experienced diamond cutter can craft a diamond with a high cut grade and exceptional sparkle. Keep in mind that cut grades only apply to round diamonds and not fancy shapes (non round diamonds).
A diamonds cut grade ranges from Excellent to Poor and consists of several factors:
- Proportion: The relationship between the size, angle and shape of each facet, expressed as a percentage.
- Polish: The degree of smoothness of a diamonds facets. When diamonds are cut and polished, microscopic surface defects can be created which disrupts how light travels through a diamond.
- Symmetry: How well the diamonds facets are aligned, including the table, girdle and culet. Poor symmetry can misdirect light within a diamond, reducing its brilliance.
But how exactly does cut grade affect sparkle? When light interacts with a diamond, it will either reflect off the diamonds facets or refract and pass through the facets. The angle in which light hits a diamonds facets determines if the light will reflect or refract. A well-cut diamond will have each facet angled to maximize the amount of light that will reflect back out of the crown, achieving a captivating sparkle. Conversely, a poorly cut diamond will have light escape from the bottom or sides of the diamond. Not only will a poorly cut diamond look lifeless without its signature sparkle, but they can also appear smaller than a well-cut diamond of the same carat weight.
The cut grade influences a diamonds:
- Brilliance: The brightness caused by the light reflections inside a diamond.
- Fire: The dispersion of light into a rainbow of colours.
- Scintillation: The sparkle a diamond produces when moved.
What Are The Top Diamond Cuts For The Most Sparkle?
- Round
- Oval
- Pear
- Cushion
- Princess
- Marquise
- Heart
- Radiant
- Emerald/Asscher
- Baguette
While round diamonds undeniably produce the most sparkle, there are other diamond cuts which are fantastic alternatives to round diamonds, without skimping on the sparkle. With their 58 facets, oval and pear cut diamonds produce a great amount of sparkle. These modern shapes rank highly on our list of the top 10 most popular diamond shapes of 2019. If you crave an especially sparkly diamond, you should avoid emerald, baguettes and asscher cuts and as they forgo sparkle and produce a mirror like effect that creates flashes of light.
How To Improve Your Diamonds Sparkle
There are several things you can do to enhance your diamonds sparkle:
- Clean the diamond: Diamonds are magnets for dirt, makeup and even the oil from your fingers. When this grime builds up, it detracts from the diamonds sparkle. Diamonds should be cleaned a few times a year. You can check out our comprehensive diamond cleaning guide or meet with a professional to get the stone cleaned.
- Change the diamonds setting: Your diamonds setting can influence how much light enters the stone. For example, if your diamond is bezel set, only the top of the diamond is visible and only very little light can enter, thereby lessening the stones sparkling potential. On the other hand, a prong setting has less metal obstructing light from entering the diamond, allowing the stone to sparkle.
- Add a halo: You can add a ring of smaller diamonds around your main diamond, known as a halo. The collective brilliance of the halo and centre stone will allow you to achieve a greater sparkle.
How To Upgrade Your Diamonds
Now that you know which diamond cut has the most sparkle, you may be considering upgrading your diamonds. At myGemma, we are a leading buyer of loose diamonds, designer jewellery and luxury watches. We can help you afford the perfectly sparkling diamond of your dreams by buying your diamonds or diamond jewellery for cash or store credit.
Why sell to us? Our team of GIA trained gemmologists have the necessary diamond grading skills and industry knowledge to provide you with honest and competitive offers. Selling your loose diamonds, designer jewellery and luxury watches is so simple and fast that you can get paid in as little as 48 hours. Our safe and seamless selling process can be done online or via appointment and has earned us hundreds of excellent customer reviews.
To start the selling process today, complete our online form to receive a price quote for your items. If you like your quote and want to receive a firm buying offer, we can provide you with a completely free, secure, trackable and insured Special Royal Mail Delivery Pack. When your pieces arrive at our office they will be opened on camera, assessed and priced by our experts. We will contact you with our final offer and explanation of how we came to that price. There are never any high-pressure sales tactics and you can always request to have your items sent back to you for free. If you accept the offer, you have the option of a bank transfer or store credit for a higher amount.
