The terms "Diamond Cut Performance" and "Diamond Cut Precision" are often bantered about interchangeably by professionals within the diamond industry and consumers alike, however the terms are no more synonymous than brilliance and dispersion - two other terms which are often confused by people discussing diamond traits.

It is important to have a clear understanding of what the terms "Diamond Cut Performance" and "Diamond Cut Precision" are used to describe from an industry perspective in order to make an informed purchase.

The term Cut Performance refers to the Cut Quality of the diamond in terms of the overall combination of proportions, meaning the measurements of the primary sections of the diamond and the consistency of facet shape, size and alignment within each section.

The term Cut Precision is used to indicate the degree of Optical Symmetry to which the diamond was crafted. Quite simply, it is how precisely the diamond cutter aligned the facets of the diamond opposite of each other.

Many of the round brilliant ideal cut diamonds which we sell exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of Hearts & Arrows when viewed through a Gems Fantasy Scope, this is a result of a skilled diamond cutter taking the time to cut the diamond carefully enough for each facet to be aligned precisely with the facet of the same shape directly opposite of it... This is a matter of Diamond Cut Precision.

All of the round brilliant cut diamonds which we sell fall within a very precise set of measurements as defined by the AGS Ideal 0 Proportions Grade, this combined with top ratings for Polish and Symmetry (AGS Ideal or GIA Excellent) can result in a diamond with exceptional Cut Performance even when the Cut Precision of the diamond is not precise enough to produce a crisp and complete pattern of Hearts & Arrows.

Thus is it possible to have two round brilliant ideal cut diamonds, graded by either the AGS or GIA gemological laboratories with identical proportions, polish and symmetry ratings, and one may exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of Hearts & Arrows while the other does not... because the presence of the Hearts & Arrows pattern is not necessarily a direct result of the proportions, nor the polish and symmetry rating, but rather very precise alignment of the facets and a heightened precision for the facet shape present within each section of the diamond.

There will be some people who may challenge the statement made above which says 'the presence of the Hearts and Arrows pattern is not necessarily a direct result of the proportions' because the proportions of the diamond will have an effect on the visibility or sharpness of the patterns, however we've seen decent patterns of Hearts & Arrows displayed by diamonds with a proportions rating as low as AGS-3 Good. However these diamonds with a proportions rating less than AGS Ideal 0 are likely to display less Visual Performance (brilliance, dispersion, scintillation) than a diamond of the same size and quality which has been crafted to ideal proportions regardless of the presence of a pattern of Hearts and Arrows.