Many people confuse Cut with shape.  Diamonds are cut into many shapes including round, oval, pear, marquise, heart, square (princess cut), rectangular (emerald or cushion cut), and triangular (trilliant cut).  All of these cuts have an "ideal cut" that is designed to bring out the most brilliance that is possible for that particular shape.  The shape that has the greatest brilliance or "sparkle" of all is the round brilliant cut. The grading scale for Cut is:  Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor.

Round diamonds have an ideal cut that is called the "Brilliant Cut". This type of cut is geometrically configured for maximum brilliance. To achieve this maximum brilliance the proportions of the cut stone above and below the girdle (maximum diameter) and the angles of the crown and pavilion are designed in such a way that when a ray of light enters the stone from the top or crown, the only way the light can leave the stone is through the top or crown. This will maximize the diamond's brilliance or "sparkle".

The way CUT affects the quality of a diamond is in the ratio of table to total depth and the crown and pavilion angles.  When a diamond has the ideal ratios and angles, a ray of light that enters the stone through the top of the stone is reflected off of the pavilion facets in such a way that it exits the stone through the table and crown facets.   If the stone's pavilion is too deep, then a ray of light that enters through the top of the stone, or table, will exit the stone through the opposite side of the pavilion.  This causes the diamond to appear dark and dull.  If the stone is too shallow or thin, then this same light ray will not be reflected by the pavilion facets and will pass straight through the stone.   The stone will not have any brilliance and will appear to be "dead".

To help you select the diamond with a quality Cut, we offer diamonds with good, very good, or excellent Cuts.

• Ideal Cut:  A diamond with an ideal cut will reflect the nearly all of the light that enters the gem.  This cut will achieve the maximum possible brilliance.
• Very Good Cut: This cut will reflect all most all of the light that enters the gem.  A diamond with this cut grade will be almost as brilliant as the ideal grade.
• Good Cut:  A good cut grade diamond will reflect most of the light that enters.  A diamond with a good cut will not be as brilliant as the very good or ideal cuts, but it is still a high quality diamond.
• Fair Cut:  Will not achieve the brilliance of a good cut.  We do not carry diamonds with cut grades of fair or below.
• Poor Cut: Diamonds with this classification are either too deep and narrow or too shallow and wide.  They have poor brilliance and are not carried by Spotted Pony.

Certified Diamond:  A Certified Diamond has been graded by an independent gemological laboratory.  The most commonly accepted grading laboratories are the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL).

Fancy Shapes: Diamonds are cut not only in rounds, but in many other shapes as well.  These other shapes are referred to as fancy shaped diamonds.  The same quality and grading standards apply, but width to length ratios becomes important.  We only offer fancy shaped diamonds that meet the same grading standards as our round brilliant cut diamonds.

Each type of fancy shape has it's own unique characteristics for determining quality.  The most commonly seen fancy shapes include the following:

The Princess shape is one of the most popular fancy shaped diamonds on the market today, especially for engagement rings.  The Princess is square in shape and has pointed corners.  The length to width ratio is very important with this shape and should be between 1 and no more than 1.10.  If you are considering a J color grade diamond, please be aware that a slight tint of yellow may be visible in the corners of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Emerald shape is rectangular and has rectangular facets on the pavilion and trimmed corners.  This shape will emphasize both the color and the clarity of the diamond and we recommend that only color grades between D and H and clarity grades between IF and Vs be used.  This cut can also vary greatly in how rectangular they are.  The classic emerald cut shape has length to width ratios between 1.3 and 1.4. 

The Baguette shape is similar to the Emerald shape, with rectangular facets on the pavilion and pointed corners.  This shape will emphasize both the color and the clarity of the diamond and we recommend that only color grades between D and H and clarity grades between IF and Vs be used. This cut can also vary greatly in how rectangular they are.  The classic Baguette shape has length to width ratios between 1.70 and 1.8.  The Tapered Baguette differs only in that one end is narrower than the other.  The primary uses for both the Baguette and Tapered Baguette are as accent stones.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamonds with corners, Baguette shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the corners of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Radiant shape can be either square or rectangular.  It has pavilion facets like a Princess and trimmed corners like an Emerald shape.  This combination makes this shape very versatile.  The best length to width ratios for square Radiant diamonds is between 1.0 and 1.1.  For rectangular shapes, the best ratio's are between 1.50 and 2.0.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamonds, Radiant shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the corners of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Marquise shape will tend to emphasize the carat weight of the diamond and will appear to be much larger than it actually is.  The best length to width ratios are between 1.75 and 2.25.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamonds with corners, Marquise shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the corners of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Oval cut has a brilliance that is very similar to that of a round diamond.  The best length to width ratio should be between 1.33 and 1.66.  Oval diamonds are frequently used in rings and pendants.

The Pear shape has a rounded end and a single point.  This is a very versatile shape and is frequently used as the main stone in pendants and drop earrings, as well as smaller side stones for rings.  The best length to width ratios are between 1.5 and 1.75.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamond shapes with points or corners, Pear shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the point of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Heart shape has a nearly round pavilion; this gives it a brilliance that is close to that of a round diamond.  This shape is frequently used in pendants.  The best length to width ratio is between .9 and 1.10.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamond cuts with points or corners, Heart shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the point of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

The Trilliant shape is triangular and is frequently used both as an accent stone and as the primary stone in pendants.  The best length to width ratio is 1.0.  Like many of the fancy shaped diamond cuts with points or corners, Trilliant shaped diamonds with a J color grade may exhibit a slight yellow tint in the corners of the gem.  Spotted Pony does not offer any diamond color grades below H, so this will not be a factor when choosing a diamond from us.

Other types of fancy shapes are occasionally seen, including Stars and facet variations of the round and oval.  Some of these shapes are only available as custom cut diamonds.