Identifying the Difference Between 8-cut Diamonds and Full-Cut Diamonds
The majority of small round diamonds fall within two different diamond cuts.
The term ‘Single-Cut Diamond’ or ‘8-Cut Diamond’ (as they are otherwise called) refers to one of these diamond cuts.
Full-cut diamonds are the other type.
If you own any item of jewellery with tiny diamonds, the chances are your item will feature one of these diamond cuts.
But what is the difference between a single-cut (or 8-cut) diamond and a fully-cut diamond? The difference lies in the style and number of facets featured on the diamond.
Single-cut diamonds feature an arrangement of 16 facets—a simpler cut compared to full-cut diamonds. By comparison, full-cut diamonds have 57 facets. Moreover, they display a greater sparkle for this reason.
The following diagram shows both cuts compared.
Why use two different diamond cuts?
You might ask why cutters would create two different diamond cuts: both round but one with more sparkle. Simply put, single-cut diamond were less expensive. In addition, the simpler faceted arrangement made them cheaper to produce. But today, full-cut diamonds are more common. To explain, diamond cutters sell fully-cut diamonds for a higher price per carat. As a result, they make more money cutting rough diamonds with 57 facets. As a result, full-cuts are a more popular choice for diamond producers. At the same time, they offer jewellers more sparkle.
Single-cut diamonds still exist. In fact, we use 8-cut diamonds in existing jewellery designs (including the earring design above). A limitation to 8-cuts is the maximum size of a diamond. They are rarely cut in sizes above 1.5mm in diameter. By comparison, full-cut diamonds come in all sizes from 1mm upwards.
Replacement Single-Cut Diamonds.
Suppose you are looking for a replacement single-cut diamond. Or, a replacement full-cut diamond, we offer this service. From modern cut diamonds to Old-Cut Diamonds, we regularly match-up replacements for missing diamonds. Contact a member of our team for more help and guidance on this service.
Don’t forget to read our information page on where to buy small diamonds which includes plenty of information on this service.
About Mark Johnson
Mark attended Liverpool University and went on to pursue a career in the diamond industry. After more than a decade working in polished diamonds, Mark moved to the Isle of Wight where he launched Serendipity Diamonds. He works most days from their busy Ryde showroom, photographing jewellery and writing for the Serendipity Diamonds website.
