The diamond shape is the geometric appearance that encompasses the outline and silhouette of the diamond. The shape of the diamond has a major impact on the appearance, style, and meaning behind your engagement ring.
When choosing a diamond ring, the shape of the diamond is a significant decision. Understanding the different diamond shapes can help in making an informed choice that matches your love story and personal preferences.
This guide aims to explore various diamond shapes, highlighting their unique qualities and styles.
Diamonds come in a rich variety of shapes and styles, each with its own set of characteristics and aesthetics. By understanding the different shapes of diamonds, you'll be better equipped to find the one that resonates with your taste.
Here we outline the different diamond shapes:
The brilliant round cut is known for its exceptional brilliance and classic circular appearance. Its 58 facets are precisely cut to maximise light reflection and sparkle, making it a preferred choice for engagement rings. The brilliant round cut's timeless appeal makes it a versatile choice for various engagement ring styles.
The cushion shape diamond cut is recognised for its rounded corners that resemble a pillow shape, hence the name. Its larger facets highlight the diamond's clarity and offer a vintage appeal. Cushion-shaped diamonds are a blend of modern and traditional aesthetics, offering a soft, romantic feel ideal for engagement rings.
The emerald shape exudes elegance with its rectangular facets and chiseled step cuts. Its broad, flat facets allow for a clear window into the diamond, showcasing its clarity. The emerald shape is a clean, geometric look, making it a sophisticated choice for an engagement ring.
The heart shape is a unique and symbolic choice that captures the essence of love. Its intricate cut requires high precision, creating a distinctive and meaningful look. A heart-shaped diamond engagement ring can be a beautiful expression of individuality and affection.
The marquise shape boasts an elongated body with pointed ends at the top and bottom of the diamond. The marquise shape is a historical choice with a royal heritage, offering a regal look. Its extended shape can make the finger appear longer and slender, making it a great choice for those with smaller hands.
The oval shape is a variation of the Brilliant Round cut, maintaining similar brilliance while offering a unique look. Its elongated shape can make the diamond look larger and offer added sparkle. The oval shape is a great choice for someone seeking a contemporary yet classic diamond engagement ring.
Resembling a teardrop, the pear shape combines the characteristics of the brilliant round and marquise shape diamonds. Its unique shape provides a modern and sophisticated appearance. Pear shaped diamonds are an elegant choice for engagement rings.
The princess cut is known for its sharp angles and contemporary style. It is usually cut with 57 to 58 facets, offering exceptional sparkle. The combination of a classic appeal with a modern touch makes it the most popular fancy shape diamond choice for engagement rings.
The Asscher cut is known for its stepped square cut and rounded corners. It offers a unique geometric elegance and a vintage appeal. It was originally developed by Joseph Asscher during the Art Deco period, capturing the glamour this time is known for.
You can also choose the Royal Asscher diamond shape. The Royal Asscher takes this elegance further with a higher level of clarity and brilliance, making it a sophisticated choice.
The radiant cut offers a modern look with its trimmed corners, octagonal shape, and exceptional brilliance. It's a blend of the princess and cushion cuts, providing a vibrant choice for those seeking something unique and lively. The radiant cut's contemporary look makes it a trendy choice.
Diamond shapes are crafted during the diamond-cutting process. This process combines both skilled diamond cutters and specialised equipment to achieve a perfectly shaped diamond.
The process begins with a diamond cutter who evaluates the raw diamond to determine the best shape that maximises its size and quality. The cutting process then involves cleaving or sawing, followed by the bruiting stage where the diamond is cut into the desired shape. Finally, the diamond is faceted and polished to transform it into a centrepiece for engagement rings.
The terms "shape" and "cut" are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different attributes. The shape refers to the geometric appearance of the diamond. The diamond cut refers to how well the diamond's facets interact with light, affecting its brilliance and overall appearance.
When it comes to choosing a diamond, understanding the grades of diamond cuts is essential. Diamond cut forms part of the Four C’s and has varying degrees of quality, which can impact the diamond’s sparkle, appearance, and value. Here are the different grades of diamond cuts:
An excellent cut diamond is meticulously crafted to achieve maximum brilliance and sparkle. It has well-proportioned facets and optimal angles allowing for a captivating light performance. This cut offers a dazzling display of fire and brilliance, making it a premium choice among discerning buyers.
This is a high-quality cut that offers substantial brilliance, although slightly less than an excellent cut. It's a great choice for those seeking a balance between quality and cost while still providing a sparkling appeal.
A good cut diamond balances size, brilliance, and cost effectively. It reflects most of the light that enters, making it a bright and attractive option at a more budget-friendly price point compared to higher-grade cuts.
A fair cut diamond is a budget-friendly option but comes with a compromise on sparkle and overall appearance. The cut may be too deep or too shallow, allowing some light to escape from the sides or bottom, reducing its brilliance.
A poor cut diamond has a noticeable lack of brilliance due to an inadequate cut, often with improperly proportioned facets and angles. They are often not recommended for engagement rings or fine jewellery as they fail to showcase the inherent beauty and sparkle that diamonds are celebrated for.
The brilliant round cut stands as the most popular choice for engagement rings due to its timeless appeal and exceptional sparkle. It suits almost all ring styles and remains a classic choice. Another popular choice is the princess shape, offering a modern and meaningful appeal.
Choosing the right diamond shape is a personal choice that should resonate with your loved one’s personality and style. Exploring different shapes and considering the wearer's preferences can lead to a choice that is cherished forever.
The price of a diamond can vary significantly based on its shape. Certain shapes require more complex cutting techniques or result in more waste, which can drive up the cost. It is also important to consider the carat, colour, clarity, cut quality will also impact the diamond cost.
The Brilliant Round cut diamond is often a more expensive choice. This is due to the high popularity of this diamond shape which raises the market price. There is also a high level of precision required to achieve a circular shape and wastage during the cutting process, which increases the cost.
Radiant, cushion, princess, emerald, and Asscher-shaped diamonds are more affordable options. This is because there is less diamond wastage during the cutting process to achieve these stunning shapes.
Choosing the perfect diamond shape for your engagement ring is a personal and meaningful decision. At Marlow’s Diamonds, we offer a variety of diamond shapes to help you find the one that perfectly encapsulates your love. Our certified diamond engagement rings are also available in a range of carats, colours, and clarity quality, allowing you to balance beauty with your budget.
