Diamond Cuts Explained: Which Shape Is Best?
When you start the process of choosing the ultimate centerpiece for your ring, you immediately discover the world of diamonds is enormous and overbearing with all its double-talk jargon. The two most used phrases you will hear are 'diamond cuts' and 'diamond shapes'.
Many people assume these terms are interchangeable, but understanding the key difference between them is crucial before making your final purchase. While personal taste plays a big role, it's the precision of the diamond’s cut that determines how stunning it truly appears.
The Critical Difference: Cut vs Shape
Diamond shape in gemological professionalism just means the geometric outline or shape of the stone. Diamonds can be round, square, or pear-shaped. This is a physical shape.
But diamond cut is the technical actuality of the angles of the diamond's facets—the small, polished surfaces that function as mirrors to direct light. This encompasses the stone's proportions, symmetry, and polish. It is the diamond cut quality that will determine a stone's brilliance (white light), fire (colored light), and scintillation (glow).
Two equally weighted and sized stones will be very differently looking if one has a deeper cut. In explaining what are various diamond cuts, business professionals are normally concerned with this design and quality of facets, rather than the actual shape. In simple words, among all 4 Cs (Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut), the cut quality is the only parameter that is largely accountable for the overall brilliance of a diamond.
The Age of the Round Brilliant Cut
If what you desire is unadulterated, pure flame, then the Round Brilliant is the champion. It's the most popular engagement ring in the world, and it isn't by mistake.
Round Brilliant is the most perfect cut for all-around light performance. In fact, Marcel Tolkowsky designed it in 1919 to return maximum brilliance. The Round Brilliant has 58 precisely set facets that guarantee light entering a diamond is returned out the top almost perfectly. This optimum return of light makes Round Brilliant the perfect benchmark of engagement ring cuts. Due to this, it is a compulsory style to look at when searching for diamond ring cuts that create maximum glint.
If your top priority is traditional looks with the most brilliance, then the Round Brilliant is the epitome of what excellent diamond cuts have to offer.
The Types of Diamond Cuts
While the Round Brilliant can shine the brightest, the majority of consumers want a unique look or a specific optical illusion provided by another diamond shape, popularly referred to as "fancy shapes." They provide you with an option to select a diamond cut shape that would suit your individual taste, the structure of your hand, or your budget. They remind us that the ideal ring shapes solely rely on personal preference.
Here is a list of the most popular fancy cuts and all about them:
1. The Princess Cut (The Modern Square)
The princess cut is a square or rectangle that is angular and clean but still retains much of the brilliance of its round counterpart. It is also otherwise more commonly referred to as a square modified brilliant pointed cut.
Its intricate details enable it to have breathtaking fire and brilliance, with it being a sought-after alternative engagement ring cut for somebody looking for a dramatic, angular outline with less compromise of the traditional diamond sparkle. The clean, sharp lines render it a dramatic option among diamond ring designs.
2. The Cushion Cut (The Pillow Cut)
The cushion cut is also referred to as the "pillow-cut diamond" because it has pillowy, rounded edges that make it look pillowy, square or rectangular. It's an old-fashioned reinterpretation, with larger facets bringing a warm, fiery light and pattern of illumination often described as a "crushed ice" effect. The cushion cut provides soft and endearing brilliance and is a wonderful choice for a durable yet distinctive ring.
3. Emerald vs Baguette Cuts
The emerald and baguette cuts are similar because they belong to the family of step-cuts with a geometrical, neat form and parallel facets.
The Emerald Cut: It features cropped corners and a significantly higher number of facets (50–58). This arrangement is intended to showcase the purity and clarity of the gemstone and produce a dramatic "hall of mirrors" effect—broad flashes of white light instead of tiny sparkles. Therefore, the emerald cut is largely utilized as a striking focal point in engagement ring settings, providing an appearance of raw, high-tech simplicity.
The Baguette Cut: This is a much less complicated, thinner rectangular step-cut, normally with acute right angles and only 14 facets. Due to the simplicity of its design, the baguette cut glows less than the emerald cut and is seldom employed as a large center. It glows when employed as an accent stone or in repetitive patterns such as eternity bands, providing a neat, modern flair to the overall piece.
Though they are members of the same family, the difference in facets (14 for Baguette and 58 for Emerald) results in them responding quite differently when light hits them. Both are stunning choices for those examining the various shapes of engagement rings.
4. The Oval Cut (Optimize Size and Elegance)
The shape is similar to the round brilliant but extended. The shape flatters everyone and is very versatile. The elongated profile results in an oval diamond being nearly always larger than a comparable round gem of the same weight, a pleasant trait when purchasing ring cuts. The shape also has the effect of lengthening and slimming the finger.
5. The Pear Cut (The Teardrop)
Also known as the teardrop shape, the pear cut is a mystical blend of the round brilliant and the marquise cuts that yields a tapered teardrop with captivating light play. The off-center shape creates a dramatic and graceful appearance. Set to the fingertip, the pear cut provides the finger with an elegant, slender appearance. It's an interesting choice for individuals who prefer a combination of classic brilliance and an unorthodox shape.
6. The Marquise Cut (The Romantic Elongation)
The marquise cut, also referred to as the boat-cut or eye-cut, is an elongated, flowing body that tapers by width to pointed tips at both ends. Its distinctive shape provides an expansive surface area that creates the illusion of a larger stone than its carat weight. The cut is appropriate for individuals who want a highly distinctive diamond shape that also commands the illusion of thinner and longer fingers.
Finding Your "Best" Diamond
When taking into account all the various diamond cuts and selecting from the incredible variety of diamond shapes, what is the best?
The quick answer is that one diamond cut does not suit all. The choice for your unique piece is based on what you care about most. Do you want the maximum amount of total light return in a timeless style? The round brilliant is your solution. Do you prefer the geometric beauty of the step-cuts when selecting your wedding ring cuts? Or is the stretching of the finger by an oval or a pear more appealing to your wedding ring designs?
Zen Diamond has a stunning collection of all the most popular engagement ring diamond cuts to ensure that no matter your diamond cut shape of choice, the quality of the cut will shine brightly for a lifetime.
