The shape of the diamond on your engagement ring has a big impact on how your ring looks. When you plan to buy an engagement ring for the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want to make sure the diamond is as special as they are. There are so many shapes for diamond engagement rings; it can be hard to know which one is the right one. If you have a basic idea of the different engagement ring shapes, you can find the perfect ring that is sure to make your partner say yes!
What Is the Difference Between Diamond Cut and Diamond Shape?
Shape refers to the actual shape of the diamond, like round or oval. Diamonds come in many shapes, and all can be used as stones for an engagement ring.
Diamond cut refers to how well a jeweler cuts and polishes a diamond. It is solely based on the quality of the cut and how well the quality translates into a beautiful appearance.
The Gemological Institute of America created a grading system to evaluate the cut quality of diamonds on a scale. This scale only applies to round diamonds, though. There are other grading factors and systems for fancy shape diamonds.
Diamond Engagement Ring Shapes and Cuts
There are plenty of different fancy shapes for your diamond. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing to consider is that you want your diamond to be something you love enough to cherish forever.
Do you like the look of square-cut diamonds? Maybe you want something more rectangular. There are plenty of square shape diamond cuts for you to choose from.
A pear-cut diamond, oval-cut diamond, marquise-cut diamond, or even heart-shaped diamond may be the perfect shape to show off your elegance and style.
Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
The round diamond is one of the most popular shapes for an engagement ring, and for a good reason.
The round brilliant cut maximizes the diamond’s ability to reflect light. Round cut diamonds have a crown, a flat top called a table, and a culet, which is the point at the bottom.
Round diamonds have 58 facets, and a cutter cuts each facet to exact dimensions. This precision maintains the symmetry of the diamond and gives it more sparkle.
Oval-Cut Diamonds
Want a diamond with a touch of extra style, but don’t want something perfectly symmetrical? Then try looking for other diamond shapes that are popular for an engagement ring.
Oval-cut diamonds are popular due to their long shape. Elongated shapes make the finger appear longer and slimmer, so if you have shorter or wider fingers, an oval diamond will complement your hand well.
An oval diamond is perfect for people who want the sparkle and fire of a round diamond but also want a more unique shape.
Oval diamonds are great as a center stone. They also look great flanking a center stone.
Princess-Cut Diamonds
Princess-cut diamonds have a square shape with pointed corners. The cuts in a princess diamond are sharp and angular, making it a symmetrical diamond.
The princess-cut diamond shape has a modern look and looks good in any size. It has a high level of brilliance and fire so you can be sure it will shine as bright as you do.
Like all square-shaped diamonds, princess-cut diamonds are more affordable than round diamonds. This is because less raw material is wasted during the cutting process.
Princess-cut diamonds are popular in earrings as well as rings. You can easily match your engagement ring to a pair of diamond studs.
Asscher-Cut Engagement Rings
Asscher-cut diamonds are very similar to emerald diamonds, but they have a higher crown and smaller table. They are square-shaped with cut corners and fall into the step-cut diamonds family. This means they have square facets that draw the eye to the center of the stone.
Even though step-cut diamonds tend to have less sparkle than brilliant cut diamonds, Asscher diamonds have exceptional sparkle. They are not the most popular shape, but they have a sophisticated and vintage feel to them. You can find Asscher diamonds in various settings like the bezel setting.
Cushion-Cut Diamonds
A cushion-cut diamond has a vintage feel to it. It has soft and rounded corners, and its pillowy look resembles a cushion.
If you like softer and rounded edges, a cushion-cut diamond is a great choice. They are often featured in halo rings where a small row of diamonds surrounds the stone. This makes the diamond look even bigger.
The cushion cut is popular, so you can find lots of styles. The exact shape of a cushion can vary, as different diamonds have different length-to-width ratios. You can find elongated cushion-cut diamonds, modified cushion cuts, and crushed ice cushion cuts.
Emerald-Cut Diamonds
Emerald-cut diamonds are popular for their elegance and refinement. An emerald-cut diamond is a step-cut diamond with a rectangular shape and angled corners.
If you want an elongated shape, then an emerald diamond is perfect. It features long lines and an open table. Emerald diamonds are less expensive than round diamonds because there is less waste when cutting, so you can purchase a larger diamond.
This does mean it will show imperfections and inclusions more than other shapes, so it may be worth it to invest in a diamond of greater clarity.
Radiant-Cut Diamonds
Radiant diamonds are similar to other rectangular-shaped diamonds, but they combine the rectangle shape with the brilliant cutting method.
Radiant-cut diamonds have cut corners and straight lines. They use the brilliant cutting method, so they won’t have a straight facet pattern like step-cut diamonds. Instead, they will have more of a criss-cross pattern on the table.
This pattern helps hide inclusions better than having an open table like emerald or cushion diamonds. Radiant-cut diamonds combine modern angles with a rectangle shape.
Marquise-Cut Rings
All marquise-cut diamonds have a football shape with points at both ends. Thanks to their shape, marquise-cut diamonds are thinner than other diamonds, which means they are very versatile.
They can be the center stone in a solitaire ring for a simple look, or they can be part of a ring with multiple diamonds.
Marquise diamonds may often be flanked by smaller diamonds as the center stone in a three stone ring. They can also be the diamonds on either side of a center diamond.
One thing to watch out for is chipping of the pointed ends of the diamond. A protective prong or bezel setting can help prevent chipping or scratching. The marquise is a more unique cut that was popular years back, but it’s still great for jewelry today.
Pear-Cut Diamonds
A pear-shaped diamond has a teardrop shape; it is rightfully named the pear-shaped diamond because the rounded edge and point resemble a pear. This gives it a unique and romantic look.
Pear diamonds are great center stones for solitaire or three stone rings. This cut is also popular for diamond pendants and earrings.
Pear-shaped diamonds have a larger surface area than round diamonds. This larger surface area makes them appear bigger than a round diamond of the same carat weight. A larger surface area is not without its cons, though; it may show more inclusions and imperfections in the diamond. It is also harder to find find a colorless pear diamond because this shape tends to show color more than a round diamond.
When purchasing a pear-shaped diamond, you should consider factors such as the proportion, symmetry, and brightness of the stone, as well as its overall quality and price.
Heart-Cut Diamonds
Heart-shaped diamonds are very fun and unique. They look good in many settings, especially a simple prong or halo setting.
Heart diamonds clearly represent love and passion and are the perfect symbols to represent your love and commitment to your partner.
Like marquise-cut diamonds, it’s important to protect the pointed end of the diamond so it is less likely to chip.
Clean Origin Diamonds
Clean Origin has a wide selection of beautiful lab grown diamonds in all of these shapes. You can browse diamonds or look at engagement ring settings first.
With our site, you can easily customize your engagement ring to reflect your partner’s style. Your perfect engagement ring is waiting for you!
There’s always more to learn. Click here for your next discovery on the environmental impact of diamond mining.
