10 Diamond Shapes for Engagement Rings

Ever wonder what all of the different diamond shapes are? Today we're going to talk about ten of the most common shapes. This first image shows ten different shapes of diamond, all approximately 1 carat. You can see that they appear to be very different sizes, yet they're all the carat same weight. Carats are a unit of weight specific to gemstones.

Round - This is the most classic, timeless shape. Because round brilliant diamonds are perfectly symmetrical, they have the brightest sparkle of all the gemstone shapes.

Oval - A close cousin of the round, ovals give you a little more bang for your buck. A 1 carat oval diamond typically faces up (looks larger) than a 1 carat round diamond.




Marquise - Like an oval, but with pointed tips. Again, marquise diamonds tend to give you a little more impact per carat than round diamonds. I personally love a marquise set east/west (side to side) across the finger.

Princess - The second most popular diamond shape for engagement rings, the princess cut is a square diamond. Sometimes you'll find perfect squares, but often they are slightly rectangular.

Cushion - Similar to a princess, but with rounded corners. This is a romantic stone that goes well with vintage styles. The shape demands that it be set low or with two prongs on each corner so it stays secure.

Emerald - This is an octagon shaped stone with long rectangular facets. Because of the layout of the facets, this is often also referred to as a step cut. The long facets also mean that inclusions within the stone are much more obvious.

Asscher - Simply a symmetrical (square, not rectangular) version of an emerald cut diamond. Again, the long rectangular facets are a key component of this specific cut.

Radiant cut - An octagonal shaped stone, this can be either square or rectangular. The main difference between a radiant cut and an emerald cut stone is that the facets are designed to more closely resemble a round brilliant diamond.

Pear - Sometimes referred to as a teardrop, this is a dramatic choice for an engagement ring.

Heart - Most memorably, a heart shaped blue diamond was the center stone of Rose's Heart of the Ocean necklace in the movie Titanic. This is a polarizing shape - women either love them or hate them!

Which is your favorite shape of diamond?

xo,
Christine