MOST POPULAR DIAMOND SHAPES

The highly popular princess cut is essentially a square diamond shape with the clean cut corners nestled within protective prongs. With a distinctive appearance and between 50 and 58 facets, the princess cut displays a unique chevron pattern which gives it an unmistakable look and brilliance. With the princess cut, the polish and symmetry are paramount and identifying eyeclean examples is recommended.

The pear brilliant cut is a combination of the round brilliant cut and a marquise cut with all the sparkle of a round and the finger flattering shape of a marquise. Due to their elongated nature and wide base, pears are considered to have the largest "spread" of all of the shapes and look visibly the most substantial per carat. They are particularly effective in creating an illusion of a longer and more slender finger.

Oval diamonds provide an elegant and unique style for your ring, with an abundance of fire and sparkle from the brilliant cut faceting pattern. The greater surface area of the oval makes it a popular choice because it can appear larger than other diamond cuts of the same carat weight. Similar to emerald and marquise diamond shapes, the shape of oval diamonds can also help visually elongate shorter fingers. The focus in selecting your oval cut diamond should be upon symmetry and cut.

This flamboyant diamond cut was originally developed for emerald gemstones. Unlike brilliant cut diamonds, emerald cut diamonds are what’s known as a step cut. The faceting of a step cut gives the diamond a hall of mirrors effect, meaning this cut is excellent for showing off the colour and clarity of a diamond. These cuts are also known for giving off distinctive and dramatic flashes of light. If your budget allows, we advise focussing on higher colour and clarity grades when choosing your emarald cut diamond.

The name is derived from the Marquise of Pompadour who is said to have had a diamond fashioned to resemble her perfectly shaped mouth by King Louis X1V of France. The marquise shape tends to create the illusion of a much larger carat weight diamond and elongates the hand. With the marquise diamond, the symmetry and length-to-width ratio take priority . A well chosen example will grab attention and produce fabulous scintillation and fire.

The radiant brilliant cut boasts seventy facets, making it a particularly fiery and lively choice of diamond. A relatively recent diamond shape, created by Henry Grossbard in 1978, the radiant cut is essentially a blend of the round brilliant and emerald cut diamond, but at a slightly lower price point, carat for carat. As with other longer shapes, the radiant cut can also help visually elongate shorter fingers. The focus in selecting your radiant cut diamond should be upon ratio and length of the centre facets ("long mains").