Selecting a diamond for an engagement ring is an exciting process! However, with all the terminology and criteria, it can feel overwhelming. While the 4Cs are familiar to many, how those Cs interact within different diamond shapes is often less understood. Choosing the right shape can help maximize your budget, flatter the wearer’s hand, and help you prioritize the ring characteristics that are most important to you.
What are the Popular Diamond Shapes?
Diamond shapes are loosely divided into two categories: round and fancy cuts. Because the round cut is the only shape that has prescribed facets and proportions for the cut, it is the only shape that receives an official cut rating from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Fancy cut diamonds are still assessed for quality, but the grading rubric is less standardized. Diamonds are available in many popular shapes, each with characteristics to recommend them:
- Round
- Oval
- Cushion
- Princess
- Heart
- Pear
- Marquise
- Emerald
- Ashoka
Are Diamond Cut and Diamond Shape Different?
A diamond’s shape can be influenced by its cut, but the shape and cut describe two different qualities of a diamond. A diamond’s cut refers to the number and arrangements of a diamond’s facets, while a diamond’s shape refers to the visual outline of the stone, as viewed from above. It can be helpful to understand cut as part of the 4Cs of diamond grading as you assess the pros and cons of each diamond shape. The 4Cs that the GIA uses to grade diamonds include:
- Color: How much warmth is evident within a stone.
- Cut: The proportions and facets of a stone and the resulting brilliance.
- Clarity: The presence or absence of inclusions and blemishes in a stone.
- Carat: The total weight, not visual size, of a stone.
Each of these factors should be considered in addition to the shape of the stone. The GIA’s standardized diamond grading system can help you assess the qualities of a diamond that you’d like to prioritize. At Fink’s, we pride ourselves on a fifth C of diamond grading, and that is our expert gemologist Clif, who ensures that every Fink’s diamond lives up to the highest standards to mark your special moments.
How Does a Diamond’s Shape Affect Its Price?
Diamond shapes with less wastage from the raw diamonds are more cost-effective. The round shape is the most expensive as it results in the most waste cut from the original raw stone.
Despite the premium price tag, the round brilliant shape continues to be the most popular diamond shape for engagement rings, with over half of couples choosing a round diamond engagement ring in 2024. The cost differences across diamond shapes can be quite substantial, as certain fancy cuts can be 10-43% less expensive than the same carat size round diamond.
Buying a Round Diamond on a Budget
If you or your partner have your heart set on a round stone, there are a few strategies you can employ to find a diamond ring within your budget. Consider buying just under a popular weight. A .9ct diamond will be substantially less expensive than a 1ct diamond and will look nearly the same size. Another option is to consider choosing a slightly lesser grade clarity, as a round diamond’s superior brilliance can help disguise inclusions.
Describing Light Play Within a Diamond
Well-cut diamonds will have greater play of light than diamonds of poorer cut. The round brilliant cut diamond is the uncontested winner in terms of sparkle, but fancy cut diamonds can also lend plenty of light play. To better describe how the light interacts with a stone, it is helpful to understand these terms:
- Brilliance: brightness, reflections of white light
- Fire: flashes of color
- Scintillation: a combination of sparkle and the balanced arrangement of light and dark areas
Can a Diamond’s Shape Affect Its Perceived Size?
Diamonds are officially described in carats, which is a measurement of weight. However, different shaped stones of the same weight can appear markedly different in size depending on their “face up” size or the dimensions of the top of the stone. Fancy shape diamonds can appear larger because their faces may have a wider measurement from corner to corner than the diameter of a round diamond.
How Does Diamond Shape Affect Band Style?
Different diamond shapes need different band styles and settings to showcase the stone’s unique features. Fancy cut diamonds like the emerald, pear, or marquise cut have elongated shapes. You may choose to balance this elongation with bands that include side stones or a more architectural band style with a split shank.
Cushion and oval diamonds are classic, elegant diamond shapes that look stunning in equally classic settings like a pave shank or a timeless yellow gold band.
There are no hard rules for how to combine your stone with a band, but some stones lend themselves to either more contemporary settings or more vintage designs. A trusted jeweler can help you choose your ideal engagement ring style to match the diamond you love.
Diamond Shapes to Complement the Hand
It’s important to consider how a ring will complement the wearer’s hand, especially when selecting an engagement ring. While it is of utmost importance to get the right ring size, choosing the right proportion is nearly as important, especially for small, petite hands.
Ensure your carat size doesn’t overwhelm a small hand. Consider diamond shapes like the round cut, Asscher cut, and princess cut, which look nice on slender fingers. Wider hands can handle a larger stone and may benefit from the elongating effect of shapes like the oval, marquise, pear, and emerald cuts.
Buying Considerations for Each Diamond Shape
As you explore the various diamond shapes, bear in mind the strengths and weaknesses of each shape and how they may help you prioritize the features that matter most to you. We also encourage making an appointment to view diamonds in person rather than relying on online grading certificates and videos. Often, you can’t get a true understanding of a stone’s size, clarity, and brilliance until you examine it in person.
Round Diamond Shape
A round brilliant cut diamond is the perennial favorite stone for an engagement ring. With 56 symmetrical facets plus a large table facet and optional culet facet, this diamond shape produces maximum light reflection for stunning brilliance and sparkle.
Round diamonds continue to be very popular, which makes them a timeless and elegant choice that isn’t likely to go out of style. They also offer a lot of sparkle for a stunning ring in any light condition. However, round diamonds are pricier than comparably-sized fancy cuts. They have a smaller relative face-up size, which can make a round diamond feel smaller than another shape in the same carat size.
One of our favorite engagement rings featuring round diamonds is our Fink’s Exclusive round engagement ring with a subtle hidden halo. It is a striking modern twist on a classic solitaire that is sure to impress.
Oval Diamond Shape
The oval diamond shape features a round, elongated face. While it looks very similar to a round cut, it does not have prescribed numbers of facets. Oval diamonds come in a variety of width-to-length ratios, but most people prefer a ratio that falls between 1.30 and 1.50 to avoid a shape that is either too round or too narrow.
An oval diamond shape is a good choice if you prefer a classic look but want to stand out a little. An oval diamond also complements the wearer’s hand by elongating the fingers and can appear larger for its carat size. However, these stones are prone to the bow tie effect or dark triangular areas that cause a distracting bow-tie-shaped shadow on the stone.
For a stunning twist on a classic engagement ring, we love our Fink’s Exclusive Fancy Light Yellow Oval and Pear Diamond Engagement Ring. The elegant oval shape in an unexpected color makes for a strikingly memorable ring.
Cushion Diamond Shape
Named for its pillow-like shape, the cushion cut is reminiscent of a historic diamond cut known as the Old Mine Cut. Because this shape dates to a time before modern cutting machines, the cushion cut diamond can exude a more vintage feel.
The cushion cut diamond is a great choice if you prefer to prioritize fire over brilliance, as this shape tends to reflect more colored light. Depending on the facet arrangements, the stone can have a chunky, vintage appearance or a more contemporary crushed-ice look.
Princess Diamond Shape
The most popular of the fancy diamond shapes, the princess cut appears square from the top and looks like an inverted pyramid from the side. The princess cut features between two and four chevron patterns on the underside of the stone.
This diamond shape is a contemporary alternative to a round diamond and is one of the more economical of the fancy cuts. It exhibits exceptional brilliance second only to the round diamond cut. Here, diamond clarity is important, as the large table facet will reveal inclusions, and any inclusions near the edges can compromise the integrity of the stone.
Princess cut diamonds exude romance and femininity. Amplify the allure with our Fink’s Exclusive princess cut engagement ring with a delicate pave diamond twist shank that was designed for a true-life fairy tale. One caution: the sharp corners of the princess cut can be vulnerable to chipping.
Pear Diamond Shape
As its name suggests, the pear diamond shape features an asymmetrical design with a wide, round end opposite a narrow, pointed end. This shape is less common in engagement rings but can make a stunning design choice and works with a variety of aesthetics.
A pear diamond shape can look larger than a round diamond of the same size; however, the elongated nature of the stone means that it can be prone to the bowtie effect. The pointed tip of this shape can also be fragile and should be carefully set to ensure the stone is secure with at least five or six prongs. Often, the pointed end of a pear-shaped diamond is protected with a V-shaped prong.
Emerald Diamond Shape
Not to be confused with the green gemstone of the same name, an emerald cut diamond is a rectangular stone with angled corners and step-cut, perpendicular facets. The emerald cut was originally designed for the emerald gemstone early in the 1500s. It’s a less popular shape but has been a fashionable choice for diamond engagement rings since the 1920s.
An emerald diamond shape is a stylish choice that is quite attractive on the hand, as it creates a slimming effect for the fingers. An emerald shape also features a large table facet, which makes the stone look significantly larger than other shapes of a similar carat. However, the emerald cut requires higher clarity because its step facets do not conceal inclusions well. You may also need a higher color grade, as emerald cut diamonds lack the scintillation to mask colors.
Ashoka Diamond Shape
The Ashoka shape features a modified cushion cut with an elongated stone. The shape features rounded corners and 62 precision-cut facets to maximize brilliance. While the emerald cut features straight, step-cut facets, the Ashoka diamond features a scissor pattern for maximum light play.
If you’re looking for an exclusive, head-turning diamond, the Ashoka is the diamond for you. Its precision, multifaceted design requires a large rough stone, which means this cut is among the most expensive diamond shapes. However, the patented cut features even more facets than the round brilliant cut, which makes the Ashoka look 30% to 50% larger than an emerald cut diamond of the same carat weight. Our Ashoka diamond engagement ring looks graceful on the hand while commanding attention.
With a little knowledge, you can confidently choose the right diamond shape for your budget, your hand size, and your personal preferences and priorities. Your local Fink’s Jeweler can help you navigate this process, and we look forward to answering any questions you may have about selecting your ideal diamond shape.
