Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Top 10 Diamond Shape

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. 

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