When choosing a stone for your ring, you will likely hear different terms like brilliant cuts or modified brilliant cut diamonds. These pertain to the more popular and in-demand styles that suit engagement rings.

Facts About Modified Brilliant Cut Diamonds

Before you and your partner decide on a stone and a ring for your big day, it pays to know what the most popular options are for rings. From there, you can decide if a specific cut or shape is for you.

It’s hard to go wrong with modified brilliant cut diamonds. Whether it’s a more basic, timeless shape or a fancy one to set your ring apart, there’s a possible option that you can try on.

What is a Modified Brilliant Cut Diamond?

For first-time buyers, it’s easy to assume that the modified brilliant cut diamond is a very unique shape. Some may even wonder if the name refers to the origin of the diamond—if it is a lab-grown one or an artificial one. The term modified brilliant cut refers to a brilliantly cut diamond.

Unlike the specified round brilliant cut diamond, modified cuts can come in a variety of shapes. It gets its name from the modified cut of the basic round brilliant diamond.

There’s even such a cut as the round modified brilliant cut diamond. This refers to the stone cut beyond the most standard facet arrangements.

Extra facets mean better light interaction

What sets the brilliant cut diamonds apart from the modern cuts is their precision. Diamond cutters make use of mathematical design to create more facets that will make the stone sparkle even more.

Beyond adding to the number of facets, the facets themselves possess a different shape. In brilliant cuts, the facets take on a rectangular or diamond shape. This allows more light to enter the diamond. Yet at the same time, because of their unique facets, brilliant cut diamonds do not need to have the highest clarity grading to look their best.

What Shapes Do Modified Brilliant Cut Diamonds Have?

You can find a myriad of shapes when shopping for modified brilliant cut diamonds. This makes it a favorite among buyers, especially those who are looking for the more sparkling variant.

Classic preferences: Square modified brilliant cut

The princess cut sometimes comes by many names. Some diamond cutters can make princess cuts more brilliant, which results in the square modified brilliant cut diamond. Some jewelry lovers prefer this cut over the round shape to cut down the price tag.

However, with the square modified brilliant cut, buyers can opt for a more modern look without sacrificing the sparkle that round diamonds usually come with. Another option that makes use of this general shape is the cut-cornered square modified brilliant. This may be the closest shape to a cushion cut diamond while adding the brilliance that the extra facets of the brilliant cut can create.

Edgy classics: The marquise and pear-shaped modified brilliant diamonds

While most engagement rings tend to follow the classic cuts, some buyers already have a preferred special shape in mind.

A good option that’s both an excellent shape choice and one that appears to have a larger diamond size is the marquise cut. Its elongated shape that slopes into two pointed ends creates the illusion of bigger carat size. Many buyers like to put colored or clear side stones to create a more antique look. Check out our Melanie Casey review to see a good marquise cut ring.

For those who do not mind an elegant asymmetrical shape, the pear shape diamond has a classical yet youthful feel. On one end is the pointed tip, while the other end slopes into a nice rounded edge. Some jewelry owners prefer to have pear-shaped diamonds made into earrings, but they can also be set perfectly into rings.

Delicate fancy shapes: Heart and oval-shaped diamonds

When you choose fancy shapes, you may be trading off a bit of brilliance. Opting for a modified brilliant cut means you can get your preferred fancy shape that still sparkles on the same level as a round cut diamond.

Even fancy-shaped brilliant diamonds have the same number of facets and patterns as the round brilliant version. Jewelry owners who love unique shapes can now enjoy the best of both worlds through this particular cut.

Newer shapes are possible

Like any other industry, the landscape of jewelry and diamond cutting continues to evolve. Part of this is expanding the roster of shapes available for your stone.

Ritani reports that the technology to cut modified brilliant cut diamonds continues to expand the possibilities. Newer jewelry-making technology, such as laser diamond cutting, now make it possible to choose other specialized shapes.

Some jewelry stores can offer customized diamond cuts in more unique shapes. Now you can go beyond even the fancy shapes to create a one-of-a-kind stone.

Common Issues With Modified Brilliant Diamonds

Even if brilliant diamonds may be the most coveted, some diamonds can suffer certain issues. Thus, it’s best to find a trusted diamond cutter to avoid these two main issues.

The bow-tie effect

Compared to old European cut diamonds, brilliant cuts are especially created for their brilliance. Light refraction needs to be emphasized. This removes any flaw that can affect the diamond’s quality.

Unfortunately, fancy shapes, which are very common in modified brilliant cut diamonds, can suffer this one fatal flaw. The bow-tie effect is very common in fancy shaped diamonds. It creates two black triangles in the middle of the diamond’s surface to create an image of a bow-tie.

When this bow tie looks too big on the diamond, it can make light leak through the diamond. Instead of having a brilliant shine, the bow-tie effect creates a darker appearance on the surface.

Thicker girdles for some shapes

A thick girdle can be a dangerous flaw for those who have an active lifestyle. Very thick or thin girdles can result in more vulnerable areas in your diamond.

Fancy shapes can suffer from this feature, particularly for the heart shape, the marquise, and the pear diamond. One way to counter this would be to get the most fitting setting to protect your diamond. Some settings can make your ring even more brilliant. See more of this in our Ritani review.

Pricing Comparisons: Is It Worth Getting A Modified Brilliant Cut Diamond?

Many jewelry buyers prefer modified brilliant cut diamonds because it is among the most finest-looking jewelry pieces. Even when compared to the radiant cut diamonds, the amount of sparkle and fire that brilliant cuts remain hard to overshadow.

However, when it comes to the price point, this is also where some modified brilliant cut diamonds may be notorious for. The round brilliant cut diamond alone has been set as one of the most expensive diamond shapes available. Still, if you can give up the classic round shape to find a compromise with the price, you can still get a good diamond without paying too high a price.

Pricing per shape

Since modified brilliant cut diamonds can take on various shapes, pricing will differ dramatically depending on which shape you settle for. It’s important to know how the cutting process can either make or break your budget.

When diamonds are unearthed or created in a lab, they do not appear as a finished product for setting. Rough diamonds have to be cut according to the most appropriate shape and size. The market trend depends on the available diamond shapes.

Round cut diamonds continue to be the most in-demand despite being the most expensive. During the cutting process, round diamonds tend to lose 60% of the rough diamond. Despite the bigger proportion, this 60% chunk can no longer be used. The process significantly increases the price point, even if the diamond is smaller than its counterpart shapes.

As brilliant as round diamonds

Want a sparkling and fiery diamond without breaking your budget for a round cut? Try looking for modified brilliant cut diamonds .

This diamond cut does not always have to be too pricey. Its many facets let you have the same fire as a round cut diamond. This alone creates a different impression, even if your stone has a less traditional shape.

Looking at the cut quality

The shape of the rough diamond may be a big percentage of the price point. However, cut quality can also dictate its position in the market.

Excellent or ideal cuts would fetch a higher price point in the market. As for the modified brilliant cut diamonds, The Gemological Institute of Ameria currently has no grading system for this diamond cut. Instead, it looks at the symmetry and polish grades of the diamond. Aim to get the more excellent grades for this, as they can highly affect the overall look of your diamond.

Are old cut diamonds worth more?

Modified brilliant cut diamonds are newer cuts. Some jewelers who prefer a more antique look in their rings would choose an old cut diamond.

If you are looking to buy diamonds as an investment, jewelry experts may recommend buying a loose old mine cut diamond. It possesses the oldest faceting styles that appear more geometric and bigger than common cuts today.

This sets them apart because these are very telling of hand-cut diamonds that date back to the 1700s style of cutting. Old mine cut diamonds give off a soft glow when put under the candlelight.

The old mine cut diamond’s price depends on its unique cutting style. Its hand-cut quality assures there will be imperfections. Yet instead of flaws, they are considered as rare quirks in an old mine cut diamond.

Old mine cut diamonds make for good investments. Some jewelers and jewelry enthusiasts purchase old mine cuts. They cut these into smaller, more brilliant diamonds. That’s because these older cuts tend to have a bigger carat size due to previous styles. Jewelers cut this into smaller brilliant stones with a fair carat size.

Antique or modern investment?

As far as investments go, antique stones will be worth more. But why do some people ask, “are brilliant cut diamonds more expensive?” Some people ask this because they are not familiar with the many shapes of brilliant cut diamonds.

Many jewelry buyers prefer the round diamond for its dynamic and popular shape. For brilliant cut diamonds, this shape possesses the highest price tag.

The round brilliant cut diamond remains the priciest of diamonds. For starters, a round diamond cut usually has a higher price tag compared to most shapes, even if they have the same carat size.

Why is the round brilliant cut diamond expensive?

This goes back to the cutting process. Round diamonds tend to lose a lot of the rough diamond that it begins with. More than just achieving the best shape, diamond cutters also have to factor in the kind of cut they need to do to achieve the best value for the rough diamond.

With the brilliant cut, it bears more facets than any other shape or cut style. Because of this, the rounded shape needs more precision cutting work than any other shape. Diamond cutters need to balance cutting too much to achieve the right number of facets and delivering the precise cuts to minimize flaws and inclusions.

Still, if one considers its shape and the fire that makes the round brilliant cut diamond sparkle, many will agree that this shape is worth every dollar spent.

What is the difference between round and brilliant cut diamonds?

If you still prefer to get the most classic shape for diamonds, then you may want to know the nuances between a round and a brilliant cut. Round cuts remain the most common and accessible in the market. It’s not hard to find round cut diamonds because they make up two-thirds of the market’s supply of diamonds for jewelry.

However, one main difference they have with the brilliant cut diamonds is their brilliance. Round cut brilliant cut has 58 facets, which makes for exceptional reflection of white light.

Many jewelry owners prefer the round cut because of its versatility. Engagement rings, pendants in necklaces, main stones for earrings, and other decorative jewelry usually feature brilliant cut diamonds.

If you want to know more about brilliant cut diamonds, read our post “How Modified Cut Diamonds Changed The Game Of Brilliance.”