Diamond Deep Dive: Round Brilliants

When it comes to selecting a diamond, the round brilliant has stood the test of time and remains one of the most popular and brilliant cuts available. Round brilliants have become synonymous when thinking or talking diamonds which explains why they are the most popular shape and most widely seen choice for engagement rings, wedding bands, studs and many other pieces. In this article we will dive deep into everything you need to know about round brilliant diamonds to give you an edge when selecting yours!

The History of Round Brilliant Diamonds
The round brilliant cut, as we know it today, was perfected in 1919 by mathematician and diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky. His work analyzed how light travels through a diamond, leading to the creation of the ideal proportions which maximizes the diamond's brilliance and fire. While round diamonds were already in existence, they had never been this brilliant, or light-catching. With this new cut, round brilliant diamonds also became known as Ideal Cuts. Previous round cut diamonds were Rose Cuts, Single Cuts, and the Old European Cut.

The In’s and Out’s of Selecting a Round Brilliant:
When choosing a round brilliant diamond, consider the following factors to ensure you select the stone that best suites your preferences and offers the best value!

The cut is the most important factor in determining a diamond's brilliance and are the only shape that (should) have perfect symmetry! They are also the only diamond cut that can be graded as “Triple X” or Triple Excellent—diamonds that have Excellent cut, Excellent polish, and Excellent symmetry. Additionally, round diamonds are the only shape that receives a cut grade!

Round Brilliant diamonds are great at masking color. With that in mind, we recommend opting for a stone within the D-J range to effectively hide any potential color. When a client is aiming to maximize carat size we are able to easily sacrifice a bit in the color without affecting the stones overall brilliance.

The faceting of Round Brilliant diamonds helps hide imperfections better than other diamond shapes. In fact, round brilliant diamonds hide color so well, you could opt for a stone with a minimum of SI2 clarity! This is another bonus when opting for max carat size!

Consider the size of the diamond in relation to the setting and your personal preferences. Remember that carat weight is not the only determinant of a diamond's size; its cut quality also plays a significant role.

Round Cut Ratios
Length-to-width ratio is very important for all cuts because they vary from shape to shape given the ideal proportions most people want for their desired shape. For rounds, however, there isn’t a range of ideal ratios as round diamonds should be perfectly symmetrical. In this case, the ideal ratio for all round cut diamonds should be 1:1 or 1:1.05 at the very most!