Gems that are a Cut Above

The quality of a gemstone's cut can have a dramatic impact on how it looks but only a small impact on the price per carat. Jewelers and savvy gem shoppers are paying more attention to cut to get the most beauty for the money

How can you tell if a gem is well cut? The easiest way to train your eye is to look at bad cutting next to good cutting. Look at the picture above, which is of three rubies, all with good color and clarity. The ruby in the middle looks better because all the light that goes in is reflected back to the eye. See how the color is evenly distributed across the surface of the stone? This ruby also has more life and sparkle as the light dances across the facets. In contrast, the other two stones have dark areas where light is not reflected to the eye of the observer at the right angle.

Cutting style can also add beauty to a gemstone. Look at these two stones: they are the same size, shape, fine quality, and color but dramatically different in appearance because one is a standard emerald cut and the other is a Barion cut, with more facets in the back.