Cut grade (Excellent to Poor)
The grade for how well a standard round brilliant is cut, from Excellent to Poor.
How to read it
GIA’s cut grading system evaluates the cut of a standard round brilliant on a scale from Excellent to Poor; its main parts, from top to bottom, are the crown, girdle and pavilion. The FTC’s jewelry guides set a floor on describing cut: a stone that is lopsided, or so thick or thin as to detract materially from its brilliance, shouldn’t be called properly cut or modern cut.
Also searched as: diamond cut grade, excellent cut, ideal cut.
Grades describe a stone as a grading laboratory saw it. This page explains the grading scales; it doesn’t grade or value any stone.
More diamond grading
Sources
- Diamond Cut (GIA 4Cs), Gemological Institute of America
- Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries (16 CFR Part 23), 16 CFR Part 23 (1 January 2021 edition), Federal Trade Commission, published by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, § 23.16
Last reviewed September 27, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research