DIAMONDS 101: DIAMOND CUTS AND SHAPES
Choosing the perfect diamond cut to dazzle every kind of personality.
Diamond Shapes
Today, diamonds come in many more shapes than the traditional cuts. Each shape possesses its own unique set of qualities and characteristics. When embarking on finding your forever diamond, LAVA is here to walk you through all the various cuts and shapes. When there is so much to choose from, it can be a daunting task, but we are here to guide you on your path to finding the diamond of your dreams. Plus, knowledge is power! And nothing is more fun to explore than diamonds.
Round Cut
The Round diamond, or Brilliant cut diamond accounts for over two-thirds of diamonds sold, making it the most popular shape for diamond engagement rings on the market today. Its cone-shaped appearance maximizes light return through the top making it refract and play with light, well, brilliantly. It is cut to have 58 facets (cuts): 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. The angle in which the crown (above the girdle*) and the pavilion (below the girdle) is complementary making its shine unparalleled.
*What is a girdle?
When looking at a diamond from the top, the girdle is the part of the stone that creates the outline. It separates the bottom of the stone (pavilion) to the top of the stone (crown). The girdle is the largest part of the diamond in its diameter.
Asscher Cut Diamond
Asscher Cut diamonds, also called the “Square Emerald Cut” is made using a step-cut process and is distinguished by its cropped corners. Due to its cropped corners, the Asscher cut diamond appears almost octagonal in shape. The Asscher is bright, shiny, and clear in appearance. Almost smooth-seeming. Like the Emerald cut, they have a clarity of glacier-water ice, allowing you to see all the way through. Since this cut is more delicate and clean, it is imperative its cut is as flawless as possible.
Cushion Cut Diamond
The Cushion cut is an antique cut with a romantic, classic appeal. Like the Round, the Cushion cut contains 58 facets. It is considered to be a cross between the Old Mine Cut (popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) and a modern Oval cut. The Old Mine cut featured large facets and rounded corners, since the cutting was all done by hand. They were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight.
Oval Cut Diamond
The Oval cut diamond is a modified version of the most popular, the Round Brilliant. It is the perfect choice for buyers who are looking for characteristics similar to the Round, or “ideal,” cut, but would like a design or shape that is more unusual. The way it is cut creates an optical illusion of length, elegantly elongating the finger. It is for the classic, yet unconventional spirit.
Emerald Cut Diamond
The Emerald cut is known for its beauty and precision making it a very popular style. Its name comes from the cut’s traditional use on emeralds. The step-cut is the preferred cut on square or rectangular diamonds. While it lacks the brilliance of the diamond or round with the angled facets, the Emerald makes up for it with its exquisite clarity. Like the Asscher, it has the quality of looking into pure glacier ice.
Marquise Cut Diamonds
The Marquise cut is a boat-shaped and brilliant stone considered one of the most “classic” styles of the “fancy cut” diamonds, especially for engagement rings. The cut process of the Marquise is similar to that of the Round, but the diamond cutter maximizes the carat weight of the gem by elongating it into its distinctive boat shape. Particularly with this cut, the most important qualities to look for are in its clarity and color. Due to its shape, imperfections of clarity and color are more obvious than with the Round, Brilliant cut.
Heart Diamonds
The Heart-shaped diamond with its cleft at the top and rounded edges exhibits superior brilliance. A profound symbol of love, it is among the most romantic of the diamond shapes. The most essential part about selecting the perfect Heart shaped diamond is symmetry. The halves of the heart must be identical. The split between the two lobes should be sharp and precise, with its wings perfectly rounded. Generally, when buying a Heart-shaped diamond, size does matter and you want to select a diamond of at least .50 carats. Although the cut of the diamond may make the size appear smaller, it certainly makes up for it in romance and brilliance.
Pear Cut Diamonds
The Pear cut diamond combines the tradition and brilliance of the Round, but with an unconventional shape. It is an unusual shape that can make light dance as the Round cut. This shape is probably the most customizable of the diamond cuts as its size and proportions are defined by your preferences. The diamond usually contains 58 facets, like the Round, but makes more of an impression with its uncommon shape. It is for the person who wants the shine, but wants to revel in their uniqueness.
Princess Cut Diamonds
The Princess cut. With its feminine brilliance and delicate clarity. These qualities make it a perfect engagement ring. The shape is both familiar and exotic and is designed to get top brilliance from their square cut. It is most important to consider the setting when selecting the Princess Cut to protect all four pointed corners.
Radiant Cut Diamonds
Created in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, the Radiant cut combines the stylish Square, or rectangular, cut with the brilliance of the Round. Grossbard set out to honor the beauty of every type of diamond, while creating something altogether different from what was available at the time. It actually combines two types of cutting styles: The Round and the Emerald cut style. These two styles combine to create a brilliant, yet non-traditional, diamond.
Trilliant Cut Diamond
First created in the Netherlands, the Trilliant cut, also referred to as a Trillion cut, diamond is known for its distinctive triangle shape. A Trilliant cut diamond has three sides of equal length, slightly curved soft or straight-edged sides, and a flat table at its surface. This style is more contemporary in shape and compared to the Round, will have a larger carat appearance, but is unable to maintain the same brilliance as the stone is generally more shallow than the Round.
Baguette Cut Diamond
The Baguette cut diamond is traditionally long and rectangular in shape, but can also be square or tapered. The Baguette gets this tapered shape due to the same step-cut process as the Emerald and Asscher cuts. The baguette usually has about 14 facets as opposed to 58, so it does not have the same sparkle as the Round, but offers a quality of delicate clarity and soft femininity making this cut a classic among “fancy cut” shapes.
