Our Guide to Diamond Shapes

When designing your dream ring, the first decision to think about is what shape you would like your diamond to be. Diamonds come in a variety of shapes and choosing your favourite is down to personal taste. Knowing the basic information about diamond shape or cut will help you choose the perfect diamond for yourself or loved one. We use both the term shape and cut in this article. Shape referring to the outline of the diamond e.g. cushion and cut referring to the properties of that specific shape such as dimensions and reflective properties. Each shape offers its own advantages that determine cost, quality and overall appeal. Below outlines all the need to know information on each and what to look out for when you're considering which diamond to choose.

THE ROUND 

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The most popular diamond choice, rounds make up over two thirds of diamonds sold. A classic and timeless choice, round cuts are popular due to their brilliance and fire. Their refined nature allows for maximum reflection of light, creating lots of sparkle.  Round diamonds are the only shape to receive a cut grade when certified and the cut quality significantly impacts its beauty. We only offer excellent cut diamonds to our clients to ensure the greatest level of sparkle. Rounds are the most expensive diamond as a lot of the diamond is lost in the cutting process. However an excellent cut will hide inclusions well, meaning you can confidently purchase a lower clarity or colour to help with your budget.

Celebrities with round cut engagement rings: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Miranda Kerr, Emily Blunt

THE OVAL 

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Ovals have recently been a very popular choice as they display similar brilliance and fire to rounds but offer a slightly more unique shape. The beauty of an oval comes with its elongated shape which makes the wearers finger appear longer and thinner.  Ovals are a great choice if you have an active lifestyle as they don't have any pointed edges, this makes them more durable as they are less likely to get caught on sharp edges. Whilst ovals can be longer and thinner or shorter and rounder, the most requested length to width ratio is 1.30-1.50. 

Our top tip: When purchasing, look out for a dark area running across the centre section of the diamond. This is called the bowtie.  Whilst all ovals have some form of bowtie, is is preferable for them not to be too prominent. 

Celebrities with oval cut engagement rings: Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively, Hailey Bieber, Jourdan Dunn

THE RADIANT

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Radiants are a great choice if you love the rectangular shape with the sparkle of a brilliant cut. They have a rectangular outline with trimmed corners and are a mixed cut, formed with many facets and angles making them appear like crushed ice. Due to their extra facets, radiants disperse more light throughout the diamond, meaning inclusions are usually well hidden.  This means you can consider choosing a lower clarity grade to use your budget on other areas.

Celebrities with radiant cut engagement rings: Drew Barrymore, Hillary Duff

THE CUSHION

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Cushions get their name from the combination of a square shape with rounded edges and resemble pillows or cushions. A celebrity favourite, the beauty of the cushion cut is that each shape is unique. A versatile cut that uses different ratios and faceting patterns ensures that cushions differ from one stone to the next. If you love a cushion, don't be afraid to let your personal taste guide your choice be that square or more rectangular. Cushions are great at dispersing light and are known for their extra facets which give them extra sparkle. 

Our top tip: If you love a certain cushion size and shape, let us know. It's useful when selecting stones on your behalf. 

Celebrities with cushion cut engagement rings: Meghan Markle, Sofia Vergara, Leighton Meester, Karlie Kloss

THE EMERALD

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Emeralds ooze sophistication. An emerald cut is known as a step cut, they are cut with rectangular facets which are long and linear resembling a set of stairs.  Unlike a brilliant cut, they create beautiful flashes of light which are termed the "Hall of Mirrors". Like ovals, emerald cuts are flattering on the finger as they appear elongated. Due to the large, open facets of an emerald cut, inclusions are more visible. We recommend a clarity grade of VS2 (very slightly included) or above to ensure an eye clean appearance. 

Top tip: Choose your clarity grade first and then balance carat and colour within your budget.

Celebrities with emerald cut engagement rings:  Jennifer Lopez, Amal Clooney, Nicola Peltz, Anne Hathaway