Cut. The grade describing how well a diamond was shaped and polished — how its proportions, symmetry, and finish return light to the eye. Cut is the most influential of the 4 Cs on visual beauty and one of the biggest drivers of resale value.
Cut is graded on a five-step scale from Excellent down to Poor. Stones graded Excellent or Very Good return noticeably more light and command higher resale offers than identical stones with weaker cuts.
Cut is the only one of the 4 Cs created by human hands. A skilled cutter sacrifices a few percent of carat weight to reach Excellent proportions; the lift in price almost always exceeds the lost weight.
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