Round Brilliant Cut Guide

The round brilliant diamond accounts for more than 2/3rds of diamond sales around the world.

Hi, I'm Brian with B2C Jewels let’s explore this phenomenon and learn a little bit about round brilliant diamonds.

As the name suggests, round diamonds are circular in shape. They are instantly recognizable and what most people visualize when they think of a diamond. Round diamonds are, of course, a very popular choice for engagement rings. But, they are also in high demand for pendants, earrings, bracelets, watches and more. One of the reasons for their popularity is their brilliant sparkle. The singularly unique sparkle of round brilliant diamonds is due to the way the facets have been cut.

Facets are the flat polished surfaces on a diamond. These facets reflect light throughout the diamond and make it sparkle. Different diamond shapes have different numbers and arrangements of facets. But the modern round brilliant has 57 or 58 facets, giving it its brilliance. All diamonds depend on the facet proportions for light performance, but none more so than the round brilliant.

The proportion and symmetry of the facets plays an important role in how a diamond sparkles. A well-cut diamond will reflect the most amount of light, in the most ways resulting in the best light performance. A well-cut diamond also shines from edge to edge, making it appear bigger than a similar diamond with poor cut. To know more about cut in detail, check our video on diamond cut. Let's look at the other Cs of a round brilliant diamond.

Color preference varies quite a bit from person to person. Some people prefer the icy whiteness of high color grades while some prefer the slight warmth of color grades like K and L. I've explained color in our video guide to diamond color so be sure to check that out.  For simplicity just know that distinguishing a near-colorless diamond from a colorless diamond is very difficult and the right choice can save you tremendous money.

As far as clarity goes, the round brilliant diamond can be quite forgiving of flaws or inclusions. My tip is to choose a diamond with eye-clean clarity. Eye-clean diamonds are those whose flaws are not visible to the naked eye, without magnification. (link for diamond clarity on screen)If you stick to a GIA graded VS2 or higher, you will likely be just fine.

While the 4Cs are important to consider while choosing a round brilliant diamond, I think the timeless appeal of these diamonds is also a factor. They never go out of style and they work for any occasion. Whether your style is vintage, art deco or modern, the round brilliant fits the bill.

If you enjoyed watching this video, check our channel to see more videos about diamonds and engagement rings.