Diamond Shapes

Diamond shapes are a great starting point when choosing a diamond and although a diamond's shape is mostly about personal preference and taste there are some other important things to consider.

For example, which shape makes stubby or shorter fingers look longer?  Do some shapes sparkle more than others? Are certain shapes more expensive than others?

For most of us, buying a diamond ring is a big deal and unless someone close to us is a jeweler or  gemologist it's hard to know where to start.

Little insider tips and other bits of advice can make the difference between a good decision and a great one. Or worse, a bad one.

The first thing that comes to mind for most people when shopping for a diamond or an engagement ring is the almighty carat! We jump straight to size and price and even the overall ring style before we first consider a diamond's shape.

A diamond ring, regardless of price, style or size is designed around a diamond's shape—created to highlight the shape of the stone and bring out its inherent qualities and fiery brilliance.

Since it's the starting point for any ring design, it only makes sense that it should be a starting point for us when we try to figure out what we like most and what would suit us best. And, with several shapes to choose from, it's a good idea to understand the differences and know the pros and cons of each.

A diamond's shape dictates the contours, outlines, and facets. Some shapes have more facets, others more sides or angles—so depending on the shape and how well that shape is cut you will get different effects, and more or less sparkle and brilliance.

Diamond Shapes and Characteristics

Below are the basic shapes that you may encounter while shopping for an engagement ring. Each has its own story, individual characteristics and personality.

Before you check those out, let's answer some of the questions we mentioned above...

The Marquise and Oval Shapes are your best bet for shorter, thicker or even stubby fingers. The elongated shape running parallel to the finger will make a finger look longer and slimmer.

An added bonus for these two shapes is that they also make a diamond look bigger. A half carat marquise or oval will look bigger than the same weight in another diamond shape.

As for the one with the most sparkle and brilliance? The round diamond shape wins by far. That's why it's so popular and available in every jewelry store.

The round-cut or round-brilliant diamond shape has by far the most 'bling'. Because of its shape and the way it's cut it generates more fire and brilliance than all the other cuts. Which means that even if you go for a lower grade stone in terms of clarity, color, and cut, the end result will be much better than a similar grade stone of another shape.

In other words you get more 'bling' for the buck with a round brilliant!

Click on any of the images to learn more about that diamond shape!

Diamond Shape and Cost

If you were wondering if certain shapes cost more than others, all we can say is that the cost of a diamond has much more to do with diamond ratings (the 4 Cs) than it does with the shape—but the shape of a diamond can play a role in price, but not likely in the way you think it does.

The shape of a diamond can affect a diamond's rating which will translate into a higher cost especially when it comes to Clarity (one of the 4Cs) which measures inclusions and flaws in a stone.

Picture a 1 carat pear shaped diamond (below) with a large inclusion at the center top. If you change the pear shape into a heart shaped diamond and remove that top inclusion, the result will be a better grade diamond and cost more as a result.

The same is true for the princess to round brilliant. If there are chips and inclusions in any or all of the four corners of a potential princess cut, simply shape it into a round brilliant and you will end up with a better quality stone.

This is part of a master diamond cutters job—figuring out which shape is best for the raw stone.

So which diamond shape is right for you?

You can start by learning more about the round brilliant or jump to any of the other shapes from the chart above.