Clarity grading can be a bit like searching for the proverbial "needle in the haystack."  A diamond's clarity grade is determined by examining its interior and exterior for visible identifying characteristics.  EGL USA clarity graders look for inclusions (internal) and blemishes (external features) with aid of a zoom binocular microscope equipped with special lighting.  Working in a methodical fashion, clarity graders peer through each of the many facets of a diamond to look for these identifying features. Click here for more information about diamond clarity.

Cut quality is considered to be the most important factor in making a diamond look brilliant and beautiful.  Evaluating and grading the cut quality of a diamond involves careful examination of how a diamond has been proportioned and cut.  Using the width of the diamond as a constant, the size of the table, the crown height and crown angle, the pavilion depth and pavilion angle, the total depth, and the girdle size are measured as percentages of the width. In addition, the quality of the surface polish and the symmetry of each diamond are thoroughly scrutinized. All of this information is clearly listed on an EGL USA diamond certificate.

Round brilliant cut diamonds look best when cut within a certain range of proportions. Based on this information and its own research over a quarter of a century, EGL USA designed a special Diamond Analysis Report, which summarizes all of a diamond's cutting information in the form of a final "cut grade." This special EGL USA report is the ultimate "report card" for diamond cut analysis.
Click here to see a sample of a Diamond Analysis Report.

Click here for more information about diamond cut.