What's the first step in finding your perfect ring? Finding a beautiful and stunning stone crafted in the perfect shape. There are many common diamond shape choices, and many factors to consider when how finding the right one.
If you're in the market for a diamond, whether it's for an engagement ring, earrings, necklace or some other form of jewelry, you're going to have to make a lot of important and potentially lifelong decisions. While the choices you make in terms of carat, color, and clarity all play a major role in finding the best possible stone, perhaps the most important will be to choose a diamond shape. After all, the diamond shape is the most immediately noticeable feature visible to the naked eye of the diamond.
Finding a perfect shape for you or your significant other may be a hassle, so we've built an easy and quick guide to the various diamond shapes. This comprehensive guide is filled with the most famous and popular diamond cuts, as well as facts you need to know about each of them.
Diamond Shape and Diamond Cuts
When it comes to diamonds, most buyers prefer to use the terms ' cut' and' shape' in an interchangeable manner. However, there is a major gap for diamond professionals. Diamond ‘shape' refers to the form of a diamond – which can be round, oval, princess, emerald, etc. Diamond's ‘cut' refers to the arrangement of the facets of a stone. Keeping this in mind, the ‘shapes' of a diamond may be faceted or ‘cut' in a number of ways.
Round Diamond
Known for its plain, circular form, Round diamonds are the most common and popular choice for engagement rings. These classic stones are ideal for a traditional bride, but they can be combined with an elaborate setting for a more customized look. Round diamonds work with almost any setting, allowing you to select your loved one's gift from a wide range of choices.
Princess Cut Diamond
These diamonds are fit for royalty, as their name suggests. The Princess-Cut diamonds have a square top, four beveled sides, and a point identical to the upside-down pyramid below the surface of the stone. These sparklers are conventional and traditional but unique enough for women who prefer something different. Since they can be formed with a higher yield from the rough stone, they are often cheaper than round diamonds.
Oval Diamond
The main thing to look for while purchasing, in an oval-shaped diamond, is the bowtie effect. According to the length of the stone, these shapes can have darker spots that extend through the middle of the diamond. The visibility of the bowtie varies from diamond to diamond, so make sure you talk to an expert of a diamond industry when buying an oval-shaped diamond to help you discover the stone that's perfect for you and your partner.
Emerald diamonds, shaped in a rectangular shape, feature many parallel facets that produce a smooth, step-like appearance inside. These bold stones are ideal for women with excellent personalities and designs to match. Emerald diamonds are also selected because of their expansive appearance; the diamonds tend to look much larger than their carat weight.
Like other rectangular and square diamond shapes, there is scope to modify when it comes to exact appearance. Although the emerald-cut diamonds must be rectangular in shape, the exact length-to-width ratio can be modified; desirable ratios are between 1.3 and 1.6. Although the long form of the emerald will make her fingers appear longer, the shorter stone will also appear bolder. However, the look you want completely depends on your partner’s personality.
Pear Shape Diamond
For a special engagement ring, a Pear-Shaped diamond may be just what you're looking for. Such teardrop shapes can symbolize tears of joy and raindrops, as their distinctive appearance will certainly attract people's eyes. It can be challenging to discover a well-cut pear-shaped diamond as symmetry plays a large role in the diamond’s quality. These diamonds are a favorite of trendy women for over a century, these timeless stones won't go anywhere soon and are evergreen.
Radiant Shape
The radiant cut provides an octagonal shape to the diamond. By opting for this particular cut, you get unmatchable brilliance. The production process is extremely efficient, and the rough wastage is quite minimal. Over the years, the popularity of radiant diamond shape has increased significantly.
Marquise-Cut Diamond
The marquise cut has two pointed ends and an oval structure in between, which lends it an elongated style of look. In comparison to a round-shaped diamond with similar weight, marquise diamonds appear considerably larger. Critics also appreciate the fact that marquise diamonds help the finger appear a bit longer and slim, owing to its oval shape.
This beautifully distinct shape is almost the same as the Emerald-cut diamond, except that it is a square. The pavilion of Asscher is carved with rectangular facets in the same style as the Emerald. This shape shows off some color in the corners, so you may want to spend a little extra on a higher color score.
Baguette Cut Diamond
While the Baguette Cut is not a cut that is generally spoken about. it's more popular than you think. Baguette Cut diamonds are not generally used as a center stone, but rather as small pieces that compose a larger whole or as supporting diamonds that lends its sparkle and beauty to a beautiful center stone. This ideal addition for any shimmering centerpiece manages to be both retro and contemporary as it is reminiscent of the Art Deco era while at the same time repeating the clean lines of modern minimalism.
The baguette cut diamond has an elongated, rectangular shape and is cut in 14 facets. This shape belongs to the "step-cut" family, sharing many similarities to its relatives, the Emerald- and Asscher-cut diamonds. Because of this fact, many people often confuse Emerald cuts with Baguette cuts.
Cushion-Cut Diamond
The cushion diamond shape is nothing but a square cut having rounded corners, which is often considered as the most brilliant diamond shape. Once upon a time, this particular cut used to be called mine cut. The cost of the cushion cut is around 30% lesser than that of a round diamond, which makes it the best value diamond shape available in the market. However, lately, the cost for a Cushion cut has increased considerably due to the rapid increase in its popularity. The cushion cut is not that good at retaining colors.
Heart Shape Diamond
The wide usage of diamonds in events like weddings and engagements has helped boost the popularity of the heart-shaped cut immensely. Thanks to the usage of the latest technology such as lasers and computers, the shape looks unique and modern. However, it is important to maintain the ideal length to width ratio (1.00) for the best possible look. You can buy the heart shaped diamonds without breaking your bank as it is not among the most expensive cuts of diamonds in the market.