There are now dozens of diamond shapes in the market, but many of them can be more similar than you think. Below we will break down all the popular diamond shapes, what makes them special, their pros and cons, and what to look out for when searching for your perfect diamond!

Round Brilliant

The iconic and most popular diamond shape. A round brilliant is a circular shape using 57-58 facets. This shape elicits some of the most brilliant sparkle of any diamond shape and has some impressive benefits to boot. 

Pros

1. Great brilliance and fire. Modern round cutting and proportioning is down to a science to create the best performance with minimal light loss. 
2. Hides clarity characteristics (inclusions) and color the best of most any diamond shape. Anyone looking for a white diamond can often go as low as J color and Si1-Si2 clarity without seeing much color and being eye-clean. 
3. The most popular diamond shape, many options on the market. 

Cons

1. Since the diamond isn't elongated, it doesn't have the best "spread", some diamonds of the same carat weight could look larger. 
2. The larger the carat weight, the taller the diamond gets. Important to keep in mind for people who like low set rings. 
3. Due to the popularity of the shape and the amount of rough loss when cutting, rounds tend to me up to 35% more expensive then other shapes in the same specs and carat weight. 

What to look for

1. Make sure your round is "triple excellent", excellent polish, symmetry and cut. With the large amount of rounds on the market there is no reason for a poorer cut as many other options are available. 
2. Keep an eye on florescence. Higher florescence can sometimes make a diamond look hazy or cloudy, limiting its performance. 

Oval Diamond / Pear Shape / Marquise

All three of these diamonds are some of the most popular shapes with larger spread, ovals, pears and marquise are becoming more and more common but have important features you want to pay close attention to! We are combining them since they have the same quirks and benefits.

Pros

1. Have some of the best spread of any diamond shapes, look a lot larger than other shapes in the same carat weight. 
2. Another stone with many facets, lots of brilliance and fire. 
3. Priced lower than rounds, since they spread more sometimes you can go down in weight saving more. 
4. Customizable, control of the ratio allows you to do more elongated or more chubby looking shapes based on your preferences.
5. Hides clarity characteristics (inclusions) well, can often go down to Si2-Si1 and still have an eye clean stone. 

Cons

1. Some of the worst shapes at hiding color. People who don't mind the look of an I-J color round will often think it is too warm for these shapes and will likely need to go up to G-H minimum. 
2. These stones can occasionally bow-tie. This is a black spot in the center of the stone that is a quirk of the cut and is common on many of the stones in this shape, requiring you to need to study each stone to make sure it's good for you. 
3. These shapes can sometimes be cut and proportioned differently between stones, you want to see each to make sure there isn't significant light loss or windowing. 

What to look for 

1. Study each stone for a bow tie, windowing or dark spots to make sure it's sparking the way you want. 
2. Keep an eye on the ratio so you can learn the shape and elongation you like the most. 
3. For pear and marquise, the pointed tips NEEDS to be covered in the setting to keep the diamond as safe as possible. 

Princess Cut / Square Cushion

Another pair of shapes with similar attributes, these square shapes are very similar except for their corners (princess cut having sharp corners and square cushion having rounded corners) as well as their potential for different facet patterns. Other than this, these shapes have similar things to look out for.

Pros

1. Relatively good shapes at hiding color and very good at hiding clarity characteristics (inclusions). 
2. While the cushion can be cut both brilliant, modified brilliant and old mine, princess is almost always modified brilliant, both shapes are cut with many facets for great sparkle. 
3. Square cushions with rounded edges don't NEED the prongs on the 4 corners, allowing for play in the setting (like compass prongs). 
4. Typically priced lower than their more elongated counterparts, like elongated cushion. 

Cons

1. Similar to rounds, they aren't elongated so they don't have the best spread, they can also send to get taller as they get larger so keep an eye on their height. 
2. Princess cuts need all 4 sharp edges covered to keep the stone protected. 
3. These shapes can sometimes be cut too deep and disproportional, leading to dark spots near the center. 

What to look for

1. Due to their design, princess cuts can sometimes hold color more near the corners, make sure to study that area and make sure the color is to your liking. 
2. No proportions or symmetry under "very good" unless it is an antique stone or no visible dark spots. 
3. Make sure no large inclusions are close to the sharp end points of the diamonds, which can sometimes be a risk factor. 

Radiant / Elongated Cushion

Just like with princess cut and square cushion, radiants and elongated cushions are very similar shape wise (with radiants being cut cornered and cushion have rounded corners) and occasionally with their facet patterns (cushions can be brilliant, modified brilliant and old mine while radiants are almost always modified brilliants) so many of their pros and cons remain the same. 

Pros

1. Both shapes are decent at hiding color and very good at hiding clarity characteristics (inclusions). 
2. Being more elongated, these shapes can look larger than other square and round counterparts of the same carat weight.
3. Another elongated shape where you can control its ratio. Find a stone with the elongation you like!

Cons

1. Radiants, while cut cornered, still have sharp edges that need to be protected by metal to keep the stone safe.
2. Both shapes can sometimes have strong "tilt windows", when a corner of the diamond is darker or windows through when tilted at an angle away from your face. This means you should study your diamond carefully to make sure it is to your liking. 
3. Similar to oval and pear shape, these shapes can also occasionally bow-tie. Keep a look out and make sure the stone is visually to your liking. 

What to look for

1. The facet pattern if looking at a cushion, some have more faceting than others (from crushed ice to old mine). 
2. Tilt windows and bow tie.
3. For radiant, color concentration near the corners of the stone. Make sure the stone looks even in color (or lack of). 

Emerald Cut / Asscher

One of the oldest diamond cuts in existence, the emerald cut is an iconic shape still wildly popular today with many benefits. However, there are many things that separate this diamond from all the other shapes. Asschers are the square counterpart to emerald cuts, similar in many ways. 

Pros

1. Emerald cuts are "step cut" using less but longer facets to create a "hall of mirrors" effect, perfect for those who want a more subtle sparkle. 
2. Great way to show off the clarity of your diamond. 
   
3. Asschers are square, moving many of the facets closer together and giving a slightly stronger sparkle. 
4. "Step Cut" can carry over to pretty much any other shape if you like how the faceting looks!

Cons

1. This shape doesn't display color as strongly for fancy color diamonds. It also shows warmth a bit easier than other shapes, sometimes requiring a higher color for those who want true colorless.
2. This shape spreads the least of many of the elongated shapes, many end up sizing up in carat weight to get a similar looking size to other shapes. 
3. Asschers, just like all other square shapes, tend to spread less horizontally and lean on the taller side. 
4. Since the stone is cut with less facets, less area for inclusions to hide. This usually means you need a higher clarity for this diamond (minimum VS2). 

What to look for

1. If near or below the baseline clarity for step cuts (VS2), look for inclusions you can see with the naked eye. 
2. Since step cuts are less facets, all emeralds and Asschers window to some extent, make sure your stone windows in an attractive way to you and isn't losing too much light. 
3. Pay attention to the thickness of the stones girdle, too thin and the diamond can risk chipping and too thick and weight can be hiding in there instead of in it's spread. 

Still Confused? Shahla Karimi is Here to Help!

Searching for the perfect diamond is difficult, we're always here to answer any questions or help source the perfect stone for you and create a special piece to hold it. Have a look at our bespoke process below for custom projects, or shop our engagement collection to grabs some inspiration for great ways to hold these special shapes! 

OUR ENGAGEMENT RINGS

OUR BESPOKE PROCESS