Why are all diamonds not ideal cut?

I have a question for you and I hope that it doesn’t come across as argumentative or combative, but if ideal cut diamonds are so great, why aren’t all diamonds ideal cut? I’ve been contemplating the purchase of a Brian Gavin Signature hearts and arrows diamond, and visited a local jewelry store this past weekend to get an idea of the difference between G-H-I color diamonds, and the jeweler told me that hearts and arrows diamonds are nothing but smoke and mirrors, and that if ideal cut diamonds were all that amazing, every diamond cutter would be producing them. Is this guy way off base, or is there a reason why all diamonds are not cut to ideal proportions? – Samuel T.

Are Hearts & Arrows diamonds just smoke and mirrors?

If I recall correctly, that was actually a headline or at least a sub-title in an article about hearts and arrows diamonds that appeared in a major trade publication back in the late 1990’s, which leads me to wonder whether the jeweler you spoke with has picked up a trade magazine in the last decade or so… but let’s not digress too far, I’m sure that he’s a great bench jeweler, but that doesn’t mean that he’s up to speed on his diamond knowledge.

Ideal Cut Diamonds and Super Ideal Cut Diamonds, like those which exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows, represent a very small percentage of the round brilliant cut diamonds that are produced in the average year, and thus they represent more of a niche within the diamond industry. There are a lot of diamond dealers and jewelers who have yet to even begin to understand the level of optical symmetry required to produce a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows, like the one pictured to the left which is visible within this 0.926 carat, I-color, VS-1 clarity, BGD Signature round diamond.

I think that most jewelers, who question whether hearts and arrows patterns within round diamonds are merely a matter of smoke and mirrors, simply don’t understand the concept of how the pattern is created. Nor do they understand that a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows is an indication of superior diamond cut quality, and how that level of precision will result in a higher volume of light return, more sparkle, and brighter, broader flashes of light.

This diagram created by Brian Gavin demonstrates how the hearts pattern is created within a round brilliant cut diamond, by the reflection of the pavilion main facet which is colored green on one side of the diamond in the twelve o’clock position, reflecting off of two lower girdle facets which are located directly across from it on either side of the six o’clock position. If you look closely you will be able to distinguish the facet structure of the diamond, which has been highlighted in orange. Each half of the heart is separated by the facet junction which splits apart each lower girdle facet; it really is amazing how this all comes together!

The most likely reason why all round brilliant cut diamonds are not cut to ideal proportions, and finished out to the degree of precision required to obtain an ideal cut rating for polish, symmetry, and light performance, is because there tends to be more profit in cutting diamonds of lower cut quality… the diamond cutters are able to retain more of the diamond rough during the cutting process, and they don’t incur the higher wages demanded by master diamond cutters.

I’m guessing that your local jeweler didn’t have an actual ideal cut diamond graded by the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL) on their Light Performance grading platform to show you in comparison to some non-ideal cut diamonds of the same carat weight, color and clarity? It would have been beneficial for you to be able to compare ideal and non-ideal cut diamonds side-by-side to determine whether you’re able to see a measurable difference, but in my experience it is a difference which the average person is able to detect right away… no special scopes, or smoke and mirrors required.