What is the difference between GIA Excellent and Very Good cut?

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GIA Excellent (3EX) means cut, polish, and symmetry are all top-grade, producing maximum light return. Very Good is one step softer on each. The visible difference is real but subtle in casual light, more obvious under a desk lamp. The price premium has compressed from twenty-five to forty per cent five years ago to eight to fifteen per cent today, because computer-guided cutting has reduced manufacturing cost. GIA grades cut on a five-step scale: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. The cut grade considers proportions, light performance, durability, polish, and symmetry. A 3EX (or triple-excellent) stone scores Excellent across cut, polish, and symmetry independently. A Very Good stone is one step softer on at least one of those. The visible difference is real. Light return on a 3EX is approximately five to seven per cent higher than on a Very Good cut at the same colour and clarity. In direct overhead light, the 3EX shows more brilliance and sharper fire. In ambient indoor light, the difference is detectable to a careful eye but not obvious to a casual observer. What has changed is the price gap. The trade-quoted premium for 3EX over Very Good sat at twenty-five to forty per cent in the 2018 to 2020 window. In 2026, computer-guided cutting has compressed it to eight to fifteen per cent. For a stone where the math is the priority, the 3EX is now usually the right buy. The full argument is in Why ideal cut still matters when the trade has moved on. Tier compression is documented numerically in SA diamond statistics 2026.