Diamond Shapes
There are various shapes a diamond can be - round, emerald, princess and radiant to name a few. Shaping a diamond from a rough stone can take an hour or a year depending on the size and quality of the stone. Smaller stones are more difficult to shape and cutters must have patience and great skill to make the delicate cuts that are necessary to give a diamond the greatest possible sparkle and brilliance.
Round Brilliant Cut Diamond
This shape accounts for over 75% of all diamonds sold today. Round is the most popular shape used for an engagement ring, and of these the round brilliant cut is the most commonly chosen. It's 58 facet-cut achieves the maximum brilliance a diamond can have, maximising the reflection and refraction of light. Diamonds cut in this way have more depth than width, and can therefore seem smaller than other finely cut diamonds, but they are the most brilliant of all shapes.
Princess (Square) Cut Diamond
This is one of the most popular fancy-shaped diamonds and is popular for engagement rings. The princess cut, invented around 30 years ago, is the most important new shape/cut since the perfection of the modern brilliant cut over 60 years ago. The princess cut is essentially a square version of the round brilliant cut, known technically as a square modified brilliant cut. It is a style of cutting that improves the faceting of square/rectangular stones to obtain maximum brilliance from the diamond, as well as making any inclusions/flaws in the stone less visible.
Emerald Cut Diamond
This shape was originally developed for cutting emeralds, until it was discovered it was suitable for other stones. An emerald cut diamond can be extremely stunning. It may not have the sparkle of a round brilliant cut, but because of its long lines it tends to produce more dramatic flashes of light. It is more scintillating than brilliant, and highlights the clarity of the diamond. The emerald cut shape is rectangular with cut corners, and is one of the most elegant and sophisticated diamond shapes. Emerald cut diamonds are less expensive than round brilliant or princess shapes.
Radiant Cut Diamond
This shape is a cross between a princess and an emerald cut. It combines the best features of the round brilliant cut, the elegance and trimmed corners of an emerald cut and a squarer shape more similar to the princess cut. Radiants are similar to emerald cut stones in their shape, but the faceting is different making the diamond more brilliant. This cut has 70 facets to maximise the brilliance of the diamond.
Marquise Cut Diamond
This shape was commissioned by Louis XIV in France, and was based on the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour. It is a variation of the round brilliant cut - elongated with pointed ends. A marquise diamond is beautiful when used as a solitaire or when enhanced by smaller diamonds. This shape can maximise carat-weight, making the diamond appear much larger, and tends to make your fingers appear long and slender.
Pear Shape Diamond
Pear shaped diamonds are often called 'teardrop' diamonds because of their shape. This shape is a combination of the round brilliant and the marquise, a fiery cut with elegant lines and lots of sparkle. Whilst not a traditional selection, pear shaped diamonds make beautiful engagement rings either as a solitaire (single stone) or as shoulder stones either side of a central stone.
Asscher Cut Diamond
The asscher cut was developed by the Asscher Brothers in Holland in the early twentieth century, and is gaining popularity again today. It is often referred to as the 'square emerald cut' - because it is square with wide step facets and cropped corners. This cut is designed to draw your eye into the stone, and whilst not a traditional selection, asscher cut diamonds are now very fashionable for engagement rings.
Baguette/Tapered Baguette Diamond
Baguette cut diamonds are oblong/rectangular, and are similar to emerald cuts but without the cut corners (which make emerald cuts octagonal rather than oblong). Rectangular shaped stones are usually cut in steps, and are therefore known as step cut. The earliest jewellers used this simple cut for many gemstones including diamonds because it was relatively easy to cut with the limited tools available years ago. Baguettes make good stones for eternity rings as well as in channel settings, as unlike round stones, they can be set without leaving any gaps between the diamonds. Tapered baguettes are frequently used as shoulder stones to enhance a central stone of another shape.
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