What Makes The Round Brilliant Cut The Most Expensive Diamond?

Diamonds, the world’s most timeless and elegant gemstones, are widely known and sought after for their sheer brilliance and beauty. Throughout the years, changing jewellery styles and trends have given rise to the popularity of various fancy diamond cuts. But, the truly timeless round brilliant cut has maintained its position as the classic throughout trends and occasions. Even today, the initial thought of the word ‘diamond’ sparks an image of a big, bright and perfect classic round cut for people across various generations.

The formation of this classic shape dates back to the early 17th century. The round brilliant cut was then originally known as the Old European Cut. Although these were technically circular, they featured more profound proportions and smaller tables. The 58 facets round brilliant cut that is seen today came into existence around 1919, after the publication of Marcel Tolkowsky’ thesis “Diamond Design: A Study of the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Diamond.”

However, the beauty and perfection of a round brilliant cut demands a price for its worth. Various factors make this classic shape more expensive than other fancy cut diamonds. The effort required in the cutting process of this shape is the primary reason for the higher pricing of this cut.

The round brilliant cut is often defined to carry the resemblance of two prisms, placed base to base. And its resource-intensive shape requires a large amount of the rough diamond to be cut away in order to achieve excellent fire and brilliance. With an effort to enhance the diamond’s sparkle while ensuring minimal sacrifice of the carat weight, the cutting of a round brilliant cut yields the highest rough wastage of approximately 60%, ultimately affecting the price of polished round diamonds.

The consistent increased demand contributes as another factor for the higher pricing of this cut. Such a simple yet beautiful gemstone is bound to be a popular choice among many. The desirable size in the 0.90ct-0.99ct range, the intense amalgamation of white and coloured light and the impressive symmetry of the round brilliant cut continue to fetch an ever surging demand force. As a result, the popularity results in increased demand and an upside drive in the pricing.

Talking about the exceptional qualities of a round brilliant cut, the intensive cutting process for this shape results in outstanding fire and sparkle. In fact, with perfectly proportioned 58 facets, it is the only diamond shape featuring the exact symmetry of right angles that display the perfect hearts & arrows pattern. In addition, the fire created by the extreme lustre and sparkle of this shape does a pretty good job of hiding all the inherent inclusions that might otherwise be visible in any other diamond cut. Additionally, the AGS cut scale rates ideal round cuts with the highest cut classification. This flawlessness of the round brilliant also justifies its position as the most expensive cut.

It is widely known that diamonds are one of the hardest substances on Earth. Yet, the shapes and structures of a few diamond cuts attract the risk of diamond chipping. Whereas round brilliant cuts offer excellent durability, making it comparatively expensive. This shape is an ideal choice among wearers as the smooth circumference of this shape eliminates the risk of chipping.

Another reason for the high price and popularity of the round brilliant cut is its versatility among various settings. This shape offers greater freedom of choice to the buyers as compared to any other diamond shape. In addition, it brilliantly compliments the solitaire, vintage style, and even a tension setting.

As these classic diamonds continue to be the most popular choice, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that one can never go wrong with a classic round cut diamond. This shape accounts for approximately 75% of all diamonds sold worldwide. The expert craftsmen at Laxmi Diamond carry out the cutting process for the round brilliant cuts with utmost precision using the latest technological advancements that help maintain the legacy and stature of this classic cut.