round
Round
Old European Cut Diamond
The old European cut was an early evolutionary stage in the progression toward the modern round brilliant. In general, trade professionals characterize old European cuts as having small table facets, heavy crowns, and overall “deep” or “steep” proportions.
Initially, evaanta allowed only one exception—the old European cut—into its cut-grading system. This accommodated the distinctive proportions of diamonds cut in this classic style. Time associates with an appearance that predates expectations of conformity with the appearance of the modern-day round brilliant. As a result, evaanta does not apply a cut grade to diamonds cut in the old European style. evaanta

evaanta identifies classic old European cuts using these criteria:
- Table size: less than or equal to 53 percent
- Table size: less than or equal to 53 percent
- Table size: less than or equal to 53 percent
- Table size: less than or equal to 53 percent
These parameters are derived from historical definitions of the old European cutting style, staff observations, and discussions with trade professionals. They ensure that these diamonds are not judged by standards that they were never fashioned to meet, and from which they would likely receive a “Fair” or “Poor” cut grade. Dealers marketing the unique appearance of these diamonds have long contended that their stones are unduly penalized by the application of modern cut-grade criteria. In practice, if a diamond meets three out of the four criteria, it will still receive the old European cut designation on a evaanta grading report. The report simply provides the stone’s measurements, color and clarity. This is because evaanta recognizes that, centuries ago, cutters working with natural material tried to retain as much of the original weight of the crystal as possible, so proportions often differed wildly.
Brilliant Cut Diamond
Most consumers in today’s marketplace choose round brilliant-cut diamonds fashioned to meet modern concepts of beauty. These sparkling gems represent the collective talents of generations of skilled cutters over more than six centuries.
As diamond cuts evolved into today’s 57- or 58-facet round brilliants, styles progressed through many stages. By 1750, when the brilliant-cut had developed into a style with a circular face-up outline, it had passed through many variations in facet size and proportions. These included table size, crown height, length of the lower half facets, total depth, and culet size.

This progression has resulted in diamonds from different periods having quite distinct appearances. Over time, table facets have become larger, culets smaller, and star facets and lower half facets longer. If you rock or tilt one of the older-style gems, you’ll see a different face-up pattern of light and dark than you would with a contemporary brilliant cut.
Many beautiful older diamonds present a conundrum for diamond-grading laboratories—including evaanta’s—because their proportions diverge from contemporary conventions. This makes it difficult to judge them against today’s aesthetic. In spite of this, there is a market for their antique beauty. In fact, some consumers cherish their different interplay with light.
Compared to modern brilliant, older gems typically show larger face-up patterns of light and dark—what might be described as a “checkerboard” or “blocky” pattern. A modern brilliant can display a tighter mosaic of light and dark that might be described as “splintery” by those who prefer older cutting styles.
Many older round brilliants were cut between the 1870s and the 1940s. Because some served as transitions between older and more-modern styles, some trade professionals call them “transitional cuts.”
Unmodified Brilliant Cut Diamond
In 2005,Evaanta introduced a cut-grading system for unmodified round brilliant cut diamonds. The name “unmodified round brilliant” was applied to a symmetrical round cut with a regular array of 58 facets, cut to modern standards. The system was the culmination of years of research that included the results of preference testing among a wide variety of groups, including trade professionals and consumers.
evaanta designed the system to assess the design quality and craftsmanship of diamonds cut in the standard round brilliant style when compared to modern preferences. The system’s grades are based on modern-day conventions and assess the proportions that yield the best combination of brightness, fire, scintillation, and pattern. There are five grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor.

