Diamond of the Week: 2.07 carat Radiant Cut

The lowdown: 2.07 carat "cut cornered rectangular modified brilliant", more commonly referred to as a radiant cut.  This diamond has a GIA certificate with grading of E color and SI1 clarity along with excellent polish and excellent symmetry.   These are good stats to start with but finding the perfect loose radiant cut diamond for your custom engagement ring requires a deeper dive.  There is a lot of information and details to consider many of which can not be extrapolated directly from a diamond grading report.  Of course also consider the shape of the radiant cut diamond you would like; currently more clients are asking for the elongated look but do not rule out the square if that is your preference.

The Color: When we are talking about an "E" color diamond such as the case here, you can be certain there will be absolutely no hints or traces of and yellow or brown color overtones.  While many people will not see a visible difference face-up between an E and F color, when you compare a diamond like this side by side to a near colorless (G-H-I) diamond you will start to see the disparity. For radiant cut diamonds we recommend anywhere from D to J color depending on how you want to balance your budget, so this stone definitely ranks at the top. Watch this comparison video of loose radiant cut diamonds to see if you can see the color differences between them.

The Spread: Aside from the obvious of having an extremely colorless appearance, this loose diamond has so many other great things going for it. First of all it has great measurements of 8.7x6.5 mm which give it the face up appearance of a diamond that would normally weigh around 2.3 to 2.5 carats.  Here is a video showing an average size diamond vs. a spready diamond.

The Cut: As you can see this large spread is achieved without sacrificing on its cut and sparkle as this diamond has a perfect depth percentage right around 67%.   There are instances where you can get a diamond that looks huge but it is cut too shallow which lets light escape from the bottom causing it to lose sparkle and brilliance.  Finding the right balance between a "spready" diamond and still maintaining a great cut can be very tricky but this diamond definitely checks both of those boxes.  The icing on the cake for the cut is the polish and symmetry grades which are both excellent.  These two factors refer to the finish of the diamond and when these line up in the top tier as well you can be certain the surface of the stone is completely clean and the proportions are perfect so the sparkle will be unbeatable.

No Bow Tie: Also notice there is minimal to no bow-tie effect on this radiant cut stone.  This dark shadow which appears across the center of the stone is something to be wary of in all elongated cut diamonds.  Depending on how noticeable it is, it can be distracting to the eye and take away from the beauty of the diamond.

Top SI1 Last of all it happens to a great SI1 and could easily be seen as a VS2 grade with no visible or black inclusions and the absence of any milky or hazy appearance. When GIA gives a clarity grade it is based on a range and not an exact figure.  For instance an SI1 can be closer to a VS2 (as is the case here) or it could be a borderline SI2 with several black inclusions, clouds, and more.  In most instances you want to have an SI1 clarity diamond that is eye clean and excellent in luster.

When you add up all these factors you get a diamond that not only looks good on paper but will live up to that in real life and make for a great center-piece in the custom ring design of your choice.  To see some more examples watch these videos of loose radiant cut diamond on our website or browse our selection of custom radiant cut engagement ring designs here. If you are searching the for the perfect radiant cut engagement ring please e-mail us and speak to one of our diamond advisers to help you select the ideal center diamond at the right price