The Best Cut for Fancy Yellow Diamond

most yellow and colored diamonds are radiant, brilliant or princess as the faceting intensifies the color.

Louis Glick Starburst Radiant

gorgeous, check it out!

The cuts that make the light bounce around more times through the colored body material intensify the color more than the cuts in which the light doesn't bounce around as many times.

The stronger the color grade the higher the price.
So if you are cutter you may maximize your profit by deciding to cut the rough into one of these cuts like radiant and pear etc.
That's why so many colored diamonds are radiants and pears - the are going for the strongest color grades.

But if you are a consumer you don't have to be concerned with which cut gives better color.
The diamonds are already cut and graded.
Just pick the cut and the color grade that appeals to you and your budget.
Sure, you are going to have a smaller selection if emerald cut, asscher or round appeals to you and that may influence the price.

Bt once the diamond is cut just select the cut that appeals to you.

Normally radiants are chosen for fancy colours if possible as these shapes hold colour well, so are particularly suitable for these stones.

In terms of what works best, and most commonly found, it''s Radiant or cushion.
Rounds are about the worst for color retention, along with step cuts.
For this reason round stones that hold a lot of yellow cost quite a bit more than an equivalent radiant.
My avatar is a Fancy Vivid Yellow Square Emerald ( Asscher) cut.
Step cuts, like rounds, command higher prices in Fancy Yellows as compared to Radiant or cushions.

Pear and Heart Shapes are also found - they are in between. Not as common as Radiant Cushion, but more easy to find than round or step cut.

Hope this helps!!

For me it depends on the actual colour of the "fancy" yellow.  You have fancy light, fancy deep, blah blah blah.  I''ve seen some radiants that only have a hint of colour and others that scream Yellow

Date: 12/23/2009 1:54:14 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
For me it depends on the actual colour of the ''fancy'' yellow. You have fancy light, fancy deep, blah blah blah. I''ve seen some radiants that only have a hint of colour and others that scream Yellow

Great advice..., fancy "words" on grading reports dont always reflect reality...
You must love the color and see the value in the Diamonds genuine color intensity.

Opposed to some sounds on this subject, I believe cut is important as well as color is.

Without question the cut of a fancy colored diamond is very important.
I love the fact that the parameters used to judge the cut on Fancy Colored diamonds are far more based on how the stone looks, as opposed to trying to meet some sort of statistical goal.
But a well cut stone will command a higher price than one that is less well cut- even in the fancy colors.

In terms of specific shades, they are important.
If you look at a GIA "Color Origin" report for a Y-Z color, the grade is described as "Y-Z Range, Light Yellow, Natural Color"
Again, based on how a stone actually looks.