When a diamond comes out of the ground it looks like a shiny pebble or piece of quartz. In fact, it is so unimpressive that it would be amazing if you actually recognized it as a diamond. The first diamond discovered in South Africa (not the world) was found in 1866 when a young shepherd named Klonkie hurled it at one of his friends, Erasmus Jacobs, who pocketed it and gave it to his sister to play with. Quite some time later, a visitor to the Jacobs home commented that the shiny pebble might be a diamond. Eventually, it was confirmed as being a diamond weighing 21.25 carats and was cut into what is now the 10.73 carat oval brilliant Eureka Diamond.

Precision cutting is necessary to release the beauty of a diamond. The brilliance, fire, and scintillation that make diamonds so desirable is the result of how skillfully a diamond is cut. With this in mind, it's time for you to realize that Cut is the most important, and least understood, factor of the 4C's.

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