What term describes the relative size, arrangement, and contrast of bright and dark areas resulting from a diamond's internal and external reflections?

What term describes the relative size, arrangement, and contrast of bright and dark areas resulting from a diamond's internal and external reflections?

• A. Pattern
• B. Ore grade
• C. Pavilion angle
• D. Per-carat price

Answer: (A)

Light behavior inside a cut diamond creates a map of bright and dark areas on the surface. The term for describing how large those bright regions are, how they're laid out across the face-up stone, and how strong the contrast is between light and shadow from internal and external reflections is pattern. This describes the visual effect produced by the facet arrangement and cut quality as light is returned to the eye. A well-defined pattern means a balanced, cohesive display of brightness with smooth contrasts, while a poor pattern can show uneven brightness and noticeable dark spots. The other terms don’t capture this visual distribution: ore grade isn’t about optics, pavilion angle is just one geometric factor that influences light paths, and per-carat price relates to cost rather than the stone’s light pattern.

Light behavior inside a cut diamond creates a map of bright and dark areas on the surface. The term for describing how large those bright regions are, how they're laid out across the face-up stone, and how strong the contrast is between light and shadow from internal and external reflections is pattern. This describes the visual effect produced by the facet arrangement and cut quality as light is returned to the eye. A well-defined pattern means a balanced, cohesive display of brightness with smooth contrasts, while a poor pattern can show uneven brightness and noticeable dark spots. The other terms don’t capture this visual distribution: ore grade isn’t about optics, pavilion angle is just one geometric factor that influences light paths, and per-carat price relates to cost rather than the stone’s light pattern.