Each diamond is as unique as a snowflake. This makes finding the perfect one hard enough. Throw in the plethora of available diamond styles and cuts, and diamond buying can feel overwhelming. Here are a few of the most sought after styles.
Round Brilliant
Still the most popular shape because this cut maximizes light, fire, and scintillation, the Round Brilliant is characterized by a round girdle outline, eight bezel facets, eight pavilion facets and sixteen upper and lower facets on the crown and pavilion, plus a table facet and eight star facets on the crown.
Cushion
Classy with a contemporary edge, a cushion has a square or rectangular outline, with a rounded corner that gives the diamond the cushion shape it is named for.
Oval
An Oval Cut diamond has a rounded, oblong polished shape. Oval shaped diamonds are like elongated Round Brilliant cuts. Also brilliant cuts, Ovals also come is a variety of facet arrangements.
Pear
A polished diamond with a tear drop-shaped outline, Pear Shapes are like a combination of a Marquise with a Round Brilliant. Also, a brilliant cut with triangular and kite shaped facets, Pear Shapes have many variants in faceting.
Emerald & Square Emerald
With its crisp, sophisticated lines, the emerald cut is the most popular of the step-cut diamonds. Four longer sides have slanted corners with two, three or four concentric rows of facets, parallel to the girdle, on the crown and pavilion.
Princess
Fit for a queen, the Princess Cut’s square outline with a shallow crown containing 17 or 21 facets, and 24, 32 or 40 pavilion facets, highlights each diamond’s fire and brilliance.
Radiant
Radiant Cut diamonds have a square or rectangular outline, with a pointed culet and a crown facet arrangement similar to a Princess Cut. Radiants combine the rectangular facets of step cuts with triangular and kite shaped facets of brilliants, taking advantage of both styles, while cutting and polishing the diamond to best fit the rough crystal.
Heart
A Heart Shaped diamond is essentially a pear shaped diamond with an indent at the top, creating the heart shape. Heart Shapes are technically brilliant cuts with triangular and kite shaped facets and come in several different facet arrangements.
Marquise
The Marquise Cut is a polished diamond with a boat shaped outline, with triangular and kite shaped facets like the round brilliant cut. Standard variations of the Marquise Cut may have six or eight bezel facets and four, six, or eight pavilion facets.
Asscher
Asscher Cut diamonds have a square outline and a step cut. They are distinguished by their pointed culets, while a square emerald has linear culets.