People often confuse diamond shape and diamond cut. Diamond
shape refers to the diamond’s general silhouette while diamond cut is the facet
arrangement of the diamond. Same cutting style can be applied to many shapes,
vice versa.
1.
Round
Known as the most popular diamond shape, the
round diamonds have been widely used as solitaires and side diamonds. Today,
around 3 quarters of the diamonds sold in the market are round brilliant cut
diamond. Round brilliant cut was designed to maximize the reflection of light
on the diamond, creating a magnificent brilliance and fire. The round brilliant
cutting style was first suggested in 1860’s by Henry Morse and enhanced by
Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919.
2.
Cushion
Faceted
with brilliant cut, the shape of cushion cut diamond appears to be squarish in
conjunction with rounded edges. The cushion cut design was initially designed
to retain the highest possible weight from the original crystal. Different
variations of cushion cut have been introduced to the market throughout the
time. This beautiful fancy shape is renowned for its shine with fire due to its
meticulous bending and light dispersion.
3.
Princess
The
symbolic squarish diamond, princess cut diamond is an extremely popular shape
for engagement rings. By utilizing the original crystal and minimizing the
diamond waste during the cutting process, the princess cut design generally
costs lesser than a round brilliant cut diamond with the equivalent carat. A
princess cut diamond should always be mounted with four prongs that cover the
four corners of the diamond as a prevention to chipping.
4.
Emerald
The
fancy cutting style gets its name from the gemstone, emerald as the design was
originally created to showcase the beauty of emerald. Step cut technique was
used to offer mirror-like reflections with square or rectangle table-top. However,
the inclusions might appear to be more visible in emerald shaped diamond
compared to other diamond shape. Therefore, this design is highly coveted amongst
celebrities and often appearing in lavish social events as it truly shows off
the quality of a diamond.
5.
Asscher
Asscher cut diamond was introduced by Asscher
Brothers of Holland in 1902 and the design regained its popularity back in 2002
after a small enhancement was made to its existing cutting technique. Compared
to emerald shaped diamond, Asscher cut diamond appears to be more squarish with
a smaller table and more layers of step facets. The inclusions tend to be more obvious
to the naked eye in step cut diamond compared to brilliant cut. Hence, it is
advised to go for a higher grade of clarity for diamond with step cut such as
Asscher Cut.
6.
Oval
Oval
shaped diamond showcases the brilliance and fire of the diamond. With its
elongated design, the diamond looks bigger than other shapes of the same weight.
In addition, it helps to make your finger appears to be thinner and slimmer. Oval
shaped diamonds have been admired and appreciated since 1304, and the design
remains popular till date.
7.
Pear
Resemble the shape of a tear drop, a pear-shaped
diamond tapers from a rounded side to a pointed end. The outline and the
symmetry of the pear-shaped diamond are extremely important to ensure the
diamond shine evenly. It should have slightly rounded shoulders and wings to
form desirable arches. V-prong on the point or bezel set should be considered
when you are choosing a pear-shaped diamond as the pointed end is prone to
chipping.
8.
Heart
Diamond
can be faceted into the universal symbol of affection and love, a heart shape. The
selection of heart shaped diamond is mainly depending on your personal
preference as the dimension varies for each diamond. However, the symmetry of
the diamond is essential in heart shape design in order to make this exquisite
stone appears to be complete and balance. Heart shaped diamond is highly desired
amongst couples in the occasion of expressing romantic love, for instance,
Valentine’s Day.
9.
Marquise
Name
after Marquise de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV of France, the
diamond shape is designed to resemble the lips of Marquise. Marquise shaped
diamond is long and elliptical shape with two pointed ends. Similar to the
heart shaped diamond, the symmetry of marquise shaped diamond is crucial to
ensure the diamond appears to be balance as a whole.
10.
Radiant
Radiant cut diamond is renowned for its
brilliance. It was designed with plentiful of facets and angles, created a
cracked ice effect from the top view. The appearance creates an ideal impression
as the inclusions are less visible with naked eyes. In addition, the colour of
the diamond will be harder to differentiate in radiant cut which allows you to
utilise your budget on other aspects of the diamond.
