While at a desk in your 5th grade science class a sliver of sunlight comes through the window and is captured by a triangular paperweight on your teacher’s desk. Almost inexplicably, the sunlight is shattered apart and displays its natural colors on the wall. At first glance, all you see is a light pyramid. To comprehend why one color is stretch across a spectrum, requires some science.
This angular sorcery is happening inside of a diamond, too. An experienced cutter takes a rather dull looking rough stone and cuts it just right. Cut it too shallow, and light leaks through the bottom. Cut it too deep, and the light bounces back out the side. When the light escapes the facets, the diamond never gets a chance to showcase a jaw-dropping flash - and that’s what you want to see.