SHAPES Pt. 1 by Staci Kline
Just like everyone has their favorite flavor of ice cream – every woman has their favorite shape of diamond. With the shape of diamonds expanding from rounds to heart shape the choices for center stones in engagement rings seem endless as compared to decades before. The shape of the diamond, not the cut* is the outlining of the stone.
The most popular and well know diamond shape is the round. There are many versions of the round shape - the European Cut, the Old Mine cut, and most recently the round brilliant. All of these have the same shape but what differentiates each stone is the cut – the agreement of the facets. The round brilliant is currently the most well known round shape and has 58 facets (57 if the cutlet is not included) and was originally developed in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky.
Square shapes fall closely behind with Princess Cut gaining great popularity in recent years. Princess cuts include a range between 49 to 58 facets. Other square cuts include Cushion cuts that were first introduced in 1700s and have round corners. Ascher cuts come in third under square shapes as the most popular for center stones. Ascher cut, known as a “step down cut,” are very similar to Emerald Cuts (see below) but have larger facets and more squared off.
The octagonal shape better known as the Emerald Cut has a rectangle shape with “step-cut” facets and beveled corners. The Emerald Cut has quickly gain popularity in recent years and is becoming more requested from women looking for a classic “old Hollywood look.” Emerald Cuts have a mirror like look and need to have a very high quality stone to make this shape look beautiful. The Radiant Cut is a new rising star for many women – combined the fire of a round brilliant and the shape of an Emerald cut with rounded corners.
Stay tuned for SHAPES Pt. 2 by Staci Kline









