DCA EXAMS STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
2025/2026 GRADED A+
✔✔kite-shaped - ✔✔Bezel facet
✔✔multi-colored display that blazes from within a diamond - ✔✔Fire
✔✔small facet at the bottom of pavilion, prevents chipping - ✔✔Culet
✔✔girdle, table, crown, pavilion - ✔✔The main sections of a cut diamond
✔✔33 star, bezel, & upper girdle facets - ✔✔The number and names of facets on the
standard round brilliant
✔✔rose cut (1500s), 1600-1700s triple or old mine cut, European cut - ✔✔Examples of
historical and novelty cuts
✔✔Weight yield from rough, labor expense of cutting, & market demand - ✔✔Factors
that affect the cost of any cut shape and style
✔✔a combo. of crown and pavilion angles create a dark reflection pattern at the
diamond's midsection it reduces brilliance - ✔✔Bow-tie effect
✔✔occurs in emerald cuts, where steps of pavilion facets form curved profile - ✔✔Bulge
factor
✔✔the bezel facets & girdle plan - ✔✔Crown angle formed by
✔✔visibility judged face-up; vary from none (pointed) to extremely large - ✔✔Culet size
✔✔a white/gray ring inside the table - ✔✔Fisheye
✔✔hearts seen face-down, and arrows seen face up - ✔✔Hearts & arrows
✔✔central ridge formed by certain pavilion facet arrangements - ✔✔Keel
✔✔sharp edge under 10x - ✔✔Knife-edge girdle
✔✔relationship that creates shape appeal - ✔✔Length-to-width ratio
✔✔very deep pavilion center that looks dark & dead - ✔✔Nailhead
✔✔distance from girdle plane to culet - ✔✔Pavilion Depth
, ✔✔sizes and angles of the diamond's parts and facets - ✔✔Proportions
✔✔beveled corners on emerald cuts, and rounded curves on brilliant fancy variations -
✔✔Shape appeal
✔✔rare ideal comb. of proportions and symmetry - ✔✔Super-ideal cut
✔✔diameter of table compared to the diamond of girdle - ✔✔Table size
✔✔depth in relation to its diameter - ✔✔Total depth
✔✔brilliants= total depth, crown angle, pavilion depth, and table size, fancy= length-to-
width ratio and shape appeal - ✔✔Key proportions for round brilliants and fancy shapes
✔✔light strikes the crown from different angles, majority reflects from the pavilion, and
exits via crown - ✔✔How light travels in diamonds with effective proportions
✔✔light escapes via pavilion - ✔✔What happens to light in diamonds that aren't
properly proportioned
✔✔obtain higher weight yield and lower per-carat prices - ✔✔Why cutters vary
proportions
✔✔20% higher weight, less brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation, less durability -
✔✔How proportion variations can affect weight yield, appearance, and durability
✔✔how precisely opposite sides of the diamond match, and precision of facet shape
and placement - ✔✔Individual factors considered under symmetry
✔✔table size: 52%-57%, and pavilion depth: 42%-43% - ✔✔The qualities that
distinguish a true ideal cut
✔✔high cut quality - ✔✔What the hearts and arrows pattern indicates
✔✔microscope eyepieces, computerized laser systems, and the GIA's The Brilliant Eye
- ✔✔How graders traditionally evaluate cut
✔✔0-10, 0=best, vs. excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor - ✔✔The grade scales
the AGS and GIA use for cut quality
✔✔Marcel Tolkowsky - ✔✔The man whose mathematical analysis of diamond cut
became the basis for most of today's ideal cuts
2025/2026 GRADED A+
✔✔kite-shaped - ✔✔Bezel facet
✔✔multi-colored display that blazes from within a diamond - ✔✔Fire
✔✔small facet at the bottom of pavilion, prevents chipping - ✔✔Culet
✔✔girdle, table, crown, pavilion - ✔✔The main sections of a cut diamond
✔✔33 star, bezel, & upper girdle facets - ✔✔The number and names of facets on the
standard round brilliant
✔✔rose cut (1500s), 1600-1700s triple or old mine cut, European cut - ✔✔Examples of
historical and novelty cuts
✔✔Weight yield from rough, labor expense of cutting, & market demand - ✔✔Factors
that affect the cost of any cut shape and style
✔✔a combo. of crown and pavilion angles create a dark reflection pattern at the
diamond's midsection it reduces brilliance - ✔✔Bow-tie effect
✔✔occurs in emerald cuts, where steps of pavilion facets form curved profile - ✔✔Bulge
factor
✔✔the bezel facets & girdle plan - ✔✔Crown angle formed by
✔✔visibility judged face-up; vary from none (pointed) to extremely large - ✔✔Culet size
✔✔a white/gray ring inside the table - ✔✔Fisheye
✔✔hearts seen face-down, and arrows seen face up - ✔✔Hearts & arrows
✔✔central ridge formed by certain pavilion facet arrangements - ✔✔Keel
✔✔sharp edge under 10x - ✔✔Knife-edge girdle
✔✔relationship that creates shape appeal - ✔✔Length-to-width ratio
✔✔very deep pavilion center that looks dark & dead - ✔✔Nailhead
✔✔distance from girdle plane to culet - ✔✔Pavilion Depth
, ✔✔sizes and angles of the diamond's parts and facets - ✔✔Proportions
✔✔beveled corners on emerald cuts, and rounded curves on brilliant fancy variations -
✔✔Shape appeal
✔✔rare ideal comb. of proportions and symmetry - ✔✔Super-ideal cut
✔✔diameter of table compared to the diamond of girdle - ✔✔Table size
✔✔depth in relation to its diameter - ✔✔Total depth
✔✔brilliants= total depth, crown angle, pavilion depth, and table size, fancy= length-to-
width ratio and shape appeal - ✔✔Key proportions for round brilliants and fancy shapes
✔✔light strikes the crown from different angles, majority reflects from the pavilion, and
exits via crown - ✔✔How light travels in diamonds with effective proportions
✔✔light escapes via pavilion - ✔✔What happens to light in diamonds that aren't
properly proportioned
✔✔obtain higher weight yield and lower per-carat prices - ✔✔Why cutters vary
proportions
✔✔20% higher weight, less brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation, less durability -
✔✔How proportion variations can affect weight yield, appearance, and durability
✔✔how precisely opposite sides of the diamond match, and precision of facet shape
and placement - ✔✔Individual factors considered under symmetry
✔✔table size: 52%-57%, and pavilion depth: 42%-43% - ✔✔The qualities that
distinguish a true ideal cut
✔✔high cut quality - ✔✔What the hearts and arrows pattern indicates
✔✔microscope eyepieces, computerized laser systems, and the GIA's The Brilliant Eye
- ✔✔How graders traditionally evaluate cut
✔✔0-10, 0=best, vs. excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor - ✔✔The grade scales
the AGS and GIA use for cut quality
✔✔Marcel Tolkowsky - ✔✔The man whose mathematical analysis of diamond cut
became the basis for most of today's ideal cuts
