Diamond Shape Guide
Among all the factors to consider when choosing a diamond, shape is one of the most impactful. A diamond’s shape not only influences how it will interact with light but also plays a key role in defining the style and overall look of the piece it's set on.
Lab-grown diamonds, which are identical to their natural counterparts in virtually every way, are available in all the same captivating shapes.
In this article, we'll explore the most popular diamond shapes and discuss what makes each one unique.
A Note on Diamond Shapes vs Cuts
When shopping for a diamond, you’ll be sure to hear the terms “shape” and “cut”. While these two terms are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to different aspects of a diamond.
Shape refers to the actual shape or outline of the diamond when viewed from above—examples include round, oval, and princess.
Cut, on the other hand, refers to how well the diamond’s facets are shaped, arranged, and polished, which impacts its brilliance, fire, and scintillation.
For example, a round diamond is a shape, but its cut determines how much it sparkles. Understanding this distinction is important as both shape and cut work together to define the diamond’s overall beauty.
Round Brilliant
The round brilliant is easily the most popular diamond shape. It has 58 facets (or 57, if you exclude the culet) that are specifically arranged to maximize brilliance, scintillation, and fire - giving off a light performance that is unmatched by any other shape.
The round brilliant is highly forgiving of inclusions and color imperfections, making it a great choice for those who want a flawless-looking stone.
This classic shape pairs seamlessly with virtually any setting, from solitaires to halos, and suits both modern and vintage styles.
Because of their popularity, round brilliant diamonds often cost slightly more per carat than other shapes, but their timeless beauty ensures they never go out of style.
A Note on Fancy-Shaped Diamonds
Fancy-shaped diamonds refer to any diamond shape other than the round brilliant. These include popular options like oval, princess, emerald, cushion, marquise, pear, Asscher, radiant, and heart shapes. Each fancy shape has its own unique appeal, offering a variety of styles to suit different tastes and settings.
Like round diamonds, fancy-shaped diamonds are graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for important qualities such as color, clarity, and carat weight.
The GIA does not assign cut grades for fancy shapes. Nonetheless, the quality of the cut is still crucial to a fancy-shaped diamond's beauty. Factors like symmetry, proportions, and how well the diamond reflects light play a significant role in its overall appearance.
Princess
The princess shape is characterized by a square design with sharp, clean edges. It’s the second most popular shape after the round brilliant. Its precise faceting creates a high degree of brilliance, especially when viewed from above.
One fact to consider is that the square shape of princess-shaped diamonds allows for efficient cutting from a rough stone, resulting in less waste. This efficiency often makes these diamonds more affordable than round brilliant ones of the same quality.
With its sharp edges, a princess-shaped diamond can be more susceptible to getting snagged during everyday wear. This makes regular setting maintenance essential for ensuring the diamond's longevity and security.
Cushion
Cushion-shaped diamonds get their name from their pillow-like look. The shape features a square or rectangular design with soft, rounded corners.
The cushion shape’s large facets allow for excellent light reflection, and are available in various patterns like the brilliant classic to “crushed ice”.
Due to its rounded edges, cushion-shaped diamonds are less susceptible to being caught or chipped, making them a great choice for pieces intended for everyday wear.
Emerald
The emerald shape is characterized by a rectangular design with stepped facets, creating a captivating “hall of mirrors” effect. This effect gives emerald-shaped diamonds a unique scintillation pattern.
Unlike traditional shapes like the round brilliant or princess, the emerald shape produces flashes of light when viewed dynamically rather than a continuous sparkle.
With the emerald shape’s large, open facets, it’s important to choose a diamond with a higher clarity grade since small blemishes and imperfections can be easily noticed with the naked eye.
Asscher
The Asscher shape is a square version of the emerald; it’s characterized by a square design with step-cut facets that create a similar "hall of mirrors" effect.
Its clean, symmetrical design gives it a vintage feel, while the step-cut facets reflect light in bold flashes instead of the continuous sparkle seen in brilliant shapes.
This shape looks particularly good in settings that highlight its clean, symmetrical design. Popular choices are solitaire or halo settings.
Marquise
The marquise shape has an elongated, football-like design with pointed ends, giving it a bold and dramatic look.
Its design maximizes carat weight, making marquise diamonds appear larger than other shapes of the same weight.
Due to their elongated form, Marquise diamonds often exhibit something called a bow-tie effect—an area of shadow across the center of the diamond. The visibility of the bow tie depends on the quality of the cut, so working with a skilled jeweler can help ensure the effect is minimized.
Marquise diamonds also create the illusion of longer, slimmer fingers, making them a flattering choice for rings.
Pear
The pear shape features a rounded end on one side and a pointed end on the other, resembling a teardrop. Its faceting is similar to that of a round brilliant, giving it excellent brilliance and fire.
Due to its asymmetrical design, pear-shaped diamonds often have a different scintillation pattern from one end of the diamond to the other.
Pear-shaped diamonds can be set with the point facing up or down, offering a personalized touch to create the exact look you’re after.
Similar to the marquise shape, their elongated form can sometimes display varying degrees of the bow-tie effect.
Oval
The oval shape offers the brilliance of a round diamond but with an elongated form. Its balanced proportions ensure even light distribution, resulting in a bright and fiery sparkle.
Oval diamonds are popular for their elongated shape, which helps the rings they’re set on create the appearance of longer, slimmer fingers. However, this same elongation can lead to a bow-tie effect, similar to what is often seen in pear and marquise shapes. The visibility of this effect depends on the quality of the diamond's cut.
Oval diamonds offer great value, as their surface area often appears larger than a round diamond of the same carat weight.
Radiant
The radiant shape has a square or rectangular outline with beveled corners and a facet pattern similar to a round brilliant.
The radiant shape has 70 facets, more than that of any other shape, and is appropriately named since it has a high degree of brilliance, scintillation, and fire.
Radiant-shaped diamonds are versatile and look great in many settings, like solitaires, halos, and three-stone designs. The beveled corners make this shape more durable than the Princess, which has sharper edges.
Heart
The heart shape is unmistakable. It’s the symbol of love, making it a popular choice for engagement rings or special gifts.
Its symmetrical design requires expert craftsmanship to ensure the perfect balance and proportions. With this in mind, heart-shaped diamonds often have less brilliance than other diamond shapes and are chosen for their shape rather than their optical characteristics.
This shape often works best in solitaire settings, where its unmistakable silhouette can take center stage.
Choosing the Right Shape
Picking the right diamond shape comes down to personal preference.
If you love maximum sparkle, shapes like round brilliant, or radiant are excellent choices. For a vintage-inspired look, consider cushion, emerald, or Asscher shapes. If you want something distinctive, marquise, pear, or heart shapes might be just what you’re looking for.
Lab-grown diamonds make it easier than ever to explore all these shapes at a more value-based price point.
Since they have the same properties as natural diamonds, you can focus on choosing the shape that feels right for you without worrying about compromising on quality.
To find the perfect stone, it’s always a good idea to see the shapes in person and consult with a trusted jeweler.
If you’re in the market for a lab-grown diamond, we warmly invite you to visit our Calgary showroom for a complimentary consultation. As experts in the field, we have one of the largest collections of man-made diamonds in the country. Whether you’re looking for the perfect round brilliant diamond, or are in the market for something more distinct like a radiant diamond, we have something for you.
Give us a call, or drop by our store in Market Mall, and experience the diamond expertise that Calgarians have come to know us for.