Diamond Cut: Excellent vs. Very Good - Choose Wisely
When choosing a diamond, cut is the single C that does the most for visible beauty — and it is also where buyers most often overpay. The grade difference between Excellent and Very Good cut affects price meaningfully, but visual difference is far smaller than the price gap suggests. This guide explains what each grade actually means and when Very Good is the smart choice.
In short: Excellent cut returns roughly 5-8% more light than Very Good and shows visibly more brilliance under most lighting. The price difference is typically 10-20% for the same carat and clarity. For round brilliants, always choose Excellent (or GIA Triple Excellent for cut, polish and symmetry); for fancy shapes where GIA doesn't grade cut, prioritise polish and symmetry instead.
What "cut" actually measures
Cut is the only C that grades human craftsmanship rather than the stone's natural qualities. It measures how well the diamond's 57 or 58 facets are proportioned, aligned, and polished so that incoming light bounces around inside the stone and exits the top as brilliance (white-light return), fire (rainbow colour flashes), and scintillation (sparkle as the diamond or viewer moves). A poorly cut diamond leaks light through the pavilion, looking dull and lifeless regardless of its colour and clarity. A well-cut diamond looks bright even at modest colour and clarity grades.
Excellent cut: what GIA looks for
A GIA Excellent cut grade means the diamond meets strict criteria across seven attributes: brightness, fire, scintillation, weight ratio, durability, polish, and symmetry. Table sizes, crown angles, pavilion depths, and facet alignments all fall within optimal ranges. Excellent cut diamonds return roughly 90–95% of incoming light through the table, producing the maximum possible visual brilliance for the stone. Triple Excellent (XXX) means the cut, polish, and symmetry are all graded Excellent.
