Let’s talk about diamond shapes. The round brilliant is the most popular shape for good reason: it faces up large, and no other shape can perform as well in terms of brilliance, fire, and scintillation. Rounds are also easiest to predict in terms of performance when you only have its specs, so it is a safe bet if you’re thinking about purchasing your diamond online.
Other shapes are categorized as “fancy cuts”:
(Image from Excel Diamonds)
The second most popular shape these days is the princess cut. Due to the popularity of princess cuts, their performance is also becoming easier to predict based on just specs and numbers. The princess is probably the most brilliant fancy shape; however, the downside is that they look very small for their carat weight (a 1ct round will look much larger than a 1ct princess).
If you want something that will look the largest for their carat weight, go for the pear or marquise. A 1ct pear or marquise usually looks as large as a 1.3ct round.
Asschers and emeralds are step cuts (as opposed to brilliant cuts), meaning they are not cut for brilliance (they don’t sparkle as much). However, beautifully-cut asschers and emeralds can be breath-taking: when you stare down on a well-cut asscher, it can look as if you’re looking down into a pool of clear water. Asscher cuts are really gaining in popularity these days; however, there are two cons to them: (1)they face up very very small for their weight (perhaps the most so out of all diamond shapes), and (2)they show color a lot easier than brilliant cuts so you ultimately have to pay more to get something that looks the same size/color as say, a round.
The cushion cut is what I had originally wanted. As you can see from the picture above, it is shaped like a cushion. There are sooooo many different types of cushions out there: old miner’s, cushion modified brilliant, cushion brilliant, etc. Even within those, they can be cut differently with different faceting patterns. However like princesses and asschers, cushion cuts face up very small for their weight.
With all fancy shapes (with the exception of princesses), you need to see the actual diamond in person and compare them side-by-side because due to the many variations within each shape, it can be difficult to predict their performance based on just specs and numbers. A fancy shape may look horrible on paper but can look great in real life, and vice versa.
Next up: our diamond shopping experience…and some tips!
I’m currently lovin the cushion cut…. Stunning.
I was a fan of the Asscher cut until my fiance told me that he had his heart set on a princess cut. At the time, given the choice between a round or princess, I would have chosen round because it looks larger than a princess, but knowing that it’s what he wanted to give me makes it so meaningful. He tells me that I’m his princess and that it’s his desire to always treat and cherish me as such, and he wants my ring to be a reminder of his feelings for me — who can argue with that?!?! I LOVE my gorgeous princess-cut diamond ring!
I have a radiant and LOVE it so much!!
ditto, i have a radiant too. love it. love it. and he picked out all by himself.
Got a vintage cushion cut ring that is 1 ct. and we gave it nickname “peanuts” bc it looks so small… (for NYC). but I love it! my FI picked by himself… and it’s that wonderful.
I have a round and I love how unbelievably sparkly it is. It’s not the most original shape, but I love it all the same.
I LOVE my Asscher ring, but they are crazy expensive. I agree with looking small, too– I have 3 stones, the center one is 2 carats, and it looks smaller than a 1ct brilliant. But the asscher is GORGEOUS when you stare down into it. Mine is actually very sparkly too, considering the cut. I couldn’t be happier!
Before I got engaged, I used to wear my grandmother’s engagement ring on my right hand — an old miner’s cushion cut. Apparently they are not made much anymore, but it is a lovely cut as well.
[...] I go to visit the fiance before heading home. I get home, am reading a post on Weddingbee about diamond cuts, and go to gaze lovingly at my ring. Only instead I see a blank finger and a realization that my [...]
Cut still pays a really important part with fancy cuts…. The better the cut the bigger the diamond will look. They often bury weight in the pavilion (under part) in fancies.
Great post! Cut is the most important aspect of the 4C’s. The cut (proportions) of a diamond can affect price as much as 50%. This means you can look at two 1 carat diamonds, both with the same color and the same clarity - one for $5,000 and the other for $8,000 (random prices chosen :). The only difference will be the quality of the cut. A round diamond is the only cut that has specific proportions to grade cut.
In a fancy cut, you look for consistency in brilliance. You don’t want dead areas like you see when fancy cuts contain a bowtie.
Mrs. Peony, New York
Age and Occupation: 27, Marketing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, QA Engineer
Engagement Date: June 28, 2007
Wedding Date: April 18, 2008
Venue: The Fountainhead
Blogging Since: August 7, 2007
About Me: Both Mr. Peony and I are huge computer nerds, and our conversations usually consist of the latest gadgets, programming languages, and video games. At the same time, I can also be very girly with an obsession with handbags, makeup, and high heels. And art! I've studied studio art extensively, almost majored in art history, and freelance as a web and graphics designer. Mr. Peony and I are having a ball of a time planning a wedding for 250(!) guests, doing our best to infuse our personalities (geeky chic) with the wishes of our very traditional Asian parents.
Also keep in mind that to make a round cut, the diamond cutter has to take a lot more off of the original diamond that they do for a princess.
A princess-cut diamond gets you more carat weight for less money, but they generally look smaller because a considerable amount of the diamond mass is under the stone, not on the face.
Of course, the most important thing (even if you think you’re going to buy online) is to go to a jeweler and try them on so that you can see which ones look best on you.