One of the most important choices you can make when deciding on a style is picking a diamond shape that suits your personal style. Classic and cool? Round brilliant might be perfect. Modern-yet-trendy?
POPULAR DIAMOND SHAPES
There are four of the industry’s most popular shapes: round brilliant, cushion, heart, and princess cut. We know choosing a cut can be a big decision, which is why we have dedicated guides to each of our stone types, which you’ll find throughout this diamond shape guide.
Though there are many shapes on the market, we’re focusing on four specific shapes below. Other popular options include pear, emerald, marquis, Asscher, and emerald.
1.Round brilliant shaped diamonds
The round brilliant cut diamond is a widely popular diamond shape. It features an unmistakable circular silhouette and a cone-like shape—with 58 perfectly placed facets (including the culet). It’s these carefully constructed facets that allow light to perform in a way that’s unparalleled by any other cut. Although other types of round cuts exist—like the vintage old European and rose cuts—the majority of round diamonds seen today are round brilliants.
2.Princess shaped diamonds
In geometric terms, a princess cut diamond is considered a square diamond and that’s because the stone’s clean edges and crisp straight lines form a stunning square shape that is both modern and edgy. The princess cut is famous for having more than 50 chevron-shaped facets which give the stone an incredible scintillation and sparkle. These iconic chevron patterns create the stone’s well-known ‘X’ pattern that is visible when gazing at a princess cut from above.
3.Heart shaped diamondss
Modified from a classic round brilliant cut, the heart cut diamond is characterized not only by its classic shape but also by its symmetry. Clarity flaws are more obvious in heart cut diamonds. This is because the diamond’s table, which refers to the upper flat part of the stone, is larger in size allowing for a larger field of vision where flaws can be spotted.
The ideal heart cut diamond should be cut at a length-to-width ratio of 1:1 or 1:1.2. However, this ideal is not necessarily a reality for most excellent cuts. What is necessary is to achieve a cut with 59 facets, which allows the stone to showcase maximum fire and brilliance.
4.Cushion shaped diamonds
Highly sought after because the stone’s shape offers an antique yet modern feel, the cushion cut is often considered one of the more contemporary cuts. Some cushion cuts can run the gamut from nearly square to nearly round. For most, a classic cushion cut diamond is the perfect marriage between a square diamond and a round brilliant diamond, resulting in a beautiful square cut with rounded corners and edges. When it comes to cushion cuts, there are a few common faceting patterns to choose from: cushion brilliance (known also as a standard cut), old mine cut, and crushed ice. Think of these cuts as cousins, not twins; they’re related by not identical and will impact the sparkle of the stone. For a full understanding of the cut types, check out our cushion shape stone guide and shop our collection of cushion diamonds.
Congratulations! Now that you’ve read this guide you’re a certified armchair expert in diamond shapes and stones.