When choosing a diamond, cut is the C that does the most for visible brilliance — and it is also where buyers most often overpay. Excellent and Very Good cut grades sit close together visually but apart in price. This guide explains what each grade actually measures, when Excellent is worth the premium, and when Very Good is the smarter choice.
Excellent-cut diamonds return the most light and command a 10-15% premium over Very Good cuts, but Very Good cuts return roughly 90% of the brilliance and are nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye in 1.00ct stones. For most US buyers, Very Good Cut with Excellent Polish and Symmetry on a G/VS1 stone delivers the best value-to-sparkle ratio at $1,500-$2,500 lab-grown.
What "cut" actually measures
Cut grades the human craftsmanship on the stone rather than its natural qualities. It assesses how well the 57 or 58 facets are proportioned, aligned, and polished so light bounces around inside the stone and exits the top as brilliance (white light return), fire (rainbow color flashes), and scintillation (sparkle as the stone or viewer moves). A poorly cut diamond leaks light through the pavilion, looking dull regardless of color and clarity grades. A well-cut diamond looks bright even at modest color 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 maximum visual brilliance for the stone. Triple Excellent (XXX) means cut, polish, and symmetry are all graded Excellent.
Very Good cut: still beautiful, less expensive
Very Good cut diamonds return 85-90% of incoming light — visually close to Excellent but priced 5-15% lower for the same carat, color, and clarity. Differences in proportion are subtle: slightly shallower or steeper crown angle, or symmetry excellent but not exact. To the naked eye in most lighting, a Very Good cut diamond looks indistinguishable from an Excellent — especially in smaller sizes. The 10-15% saving can be redirected into larger carat weight or higher color grade.
When Excellent cut is worth paying for
Three situations justify paying the Excellent premium. First, large stones (1.5 carats and above): cut quality is most visible in larger sizes where light has more room to interact, so the extra brilliance shows. Second, round brilliant cuts: the round shape is the most exhaustively optimized for light return, so Excellent versus Very Good is most measurable. Third, settings that maximize light entry (solitaires, halos with open pavilions): Excellent cut diamonds outperform Very Good in those mounts. For elongated cuts (emerald, marquise, oval) Very Good is often plenty.
When Very Good cut is the smarter choice
Buyers focused on size or color over maximum brilliance get more wearable diamond for their money with Very Good. Buyers choosing fancy shapes (cushion, princess, oval, emerald) where cut grading is less standardized see most of the visual benefit at lower cost. Buyers planning a tight bezel or halo that frames the stone closely see less of the Excellent premium. The 10-15% saving often funds the difference between a 0.90 and a 1.00 carat stone — a more noticeable visual upgrade.
What to never compromise on
Below Very Good (Good, Fair, Poor) cut grades start showing visible dullness, light leakage through the pavilion, or distracting symmetry issues. A Good-cut diamond can look noticeably less brilliant than a Very Good of the same color and clarity, and the price difference rarely justifies it. Minimum cut grade for any engagement-quality diamond is Very Good. Below that, the savings are real but the brilliance compromise is too steep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the difference between Excellent and Very Good with the naked eye?
Side by side in good lighting, an experienced eye can usually identify the Excellent. In normal wear, in normal light, viewed individually, most people cannot reliably distinguish them. Photography under bright lights exaggerates the difference; everyday wear flattens it. The visual gap is significantly smaller than the price gap.
Is Excellent cut available for all diamond shapes?
GIA only formally grades round brilliant diamonds on the full Excellent-to-Poor scale. For fancy shapes, GIA grades polish and symmetry but does not assign an overall cut grade — there is no industry-agreed standard for what "Excellent cut" means in those shapes. Other labs (IGI, GCAL) issue cut grades for fancies using their own criteria. Buyers should evaluate fancy-shape cuts on individual proportions and visual brilliance under store lighting rather than relying on a single grade.
How much can I save by choosing Very Good over Excellent?
Typically 5-15% on identical carat, color, and clarity. For a 1-carat round brilliant in G-VS1, that might mean $4,400 instead of $5,100 — roughly $700 saved that can fund a color or clarity upgrade, a slightly larger carat weight, or simply a smaller budget. The right move depends on what matters more to you on the finger.
Does cut grade affect resale value?
Yes — Excellent cuts tend to hold value slightly better at resale because they command stronger demand. For most buyers the difference is marginal (5-10% better resale recovery) and does not offset the upfront premium. Resale is a weak reason to pay for cut grade alone; buy Excellent because you can see the difference and value it, not as an investment.
Does Excellent cut affect how a dirty diamond looks?
All diamonds lose visible brilliance when their pavilion facets are coated with skin oils, soap residue, or lotion. Excellent cuts lose proportionally more because they had more to lose — a clean Excellent looks dramatically better than a clean Very Good, but a dirty Excellent and a dirty Very Good can look similar. Routine ultrasonic cleaning every six months keeps the cut quality visible.
Choosing your cut grade at Reve
Reve Diamonds shows you Excellent and Very Good cut diamonds side by side in our showroom under jewelry-store lighting so you can see the actual visual difference before deciding. Browse our engagement rings collection or book a viewing appointment.
