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A Guide to Diamond Shapes
The shape of a diamond defines its radiant personality, with each carefully considered facet crafted by hand to reveal its innate beauty.
Each cut is imbued with its own inimitable character and charm.
William & Sons Fine Jewelers offers diamonds in every shape, clarity, color, and carat weight for every budget.
Round Brilliant
The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular diamond shape, because if it has been cut properly it will tend to have more sparkle when observed by a human eye.
round diamond will give you a nice balance between its clarity, color, and cut while still producing a top notch fire and brilliance.
Princess Cut
Princess cut is the most popular non-round shape. Princess cuts are square in shape and have pointed corners. They offer a unique look and a brilliance that will blow you away.
When purchasing a princess cut make sure the length to width ratio is as close as possible if going for a perfect square look.
Cushion Cut
Cushion shapes have rounded corners and are "pillow-looking". They are often referred to as a "pillow cut". They are very elegant, modern, and youthful.
Pear Shape
Like all fancy cut diamonds, the pear diamonds comes in a variety of proportions, however the preferred length-to-width ratio should be between 1.50-1.65. Examine the point for inclusions and color concentration.
The wing on each side of the point should be symmetryical. The rounded end should appear like a semi-circle. As with the oval and marquise, the pear brilliant may show a "boe tie".
If a prong setting is chosen, it should include a V-shaped prong at the point because that will help protect it from damage.
Oval Shape
Ovals have the added benefit of appearing larger because of their elongated shape. When selecting an oval diamond, look for even, well-rounded shoulders. Your personal preference will likely decide which width of oval is more appealing, however the optimal length-to-width ratio is 1.33-1.66:1.
Oval cut in the brilliant style displays a brightness similar to round brilliant cut diamonds. Oval brilliant cut diamonds often display a "bow-tie". Seen with the naked eye, this is a dark area which looks like two triangular pieces joined in the center of the stone.
When the diamond is viewed face-up, you the "bow-tie" to be minimized as much as possible.
Emerald Cut
Emerald cut offers rectangular facets, which create a unique optical appearance. They offer have large see-through tables thus they highlight the clarity of a diamond more than other diamond shapes.
Marquise Shape
Symmetry is an important factor for all fancy cut diamonds. Even the smallest difference can create an appearance that is not balanced. Check that each half is a mirror image of the other, and for marquises that the two points align.
Like oval, this shape pairs well with other gem shapes in multi-stone rings, and if a prong mounting is chosen, V-shaped prongs will help protect the points. If a marquise shape is too long, it could impact its durability.
Look for a length-to-width ratio of 1.75-2.25. Like the oval, the marquise diamond cut in the brilliant style should be examined for a "bow-tie" effect, and the points of the marquise should be examined for inclusions.
Round Brilliant
The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular diamond shape, because if it has been cut properly it will tend to have more sparkle when observed by a human eye.
A round diamond will give you a nice balance between its clarity, color, and cut while still producing a top notch fire and brilliance.
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Princess Cut
Princess cut is the most popular non-round shape. Princess cuts are square in shape and have pointed corners. They offer a unique look and a brilliance that will blow you away.
When purchasing a princess cut make sure the length to width ratio is as close as possible if going for a perfect square look.
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Cushion Cut
Cushion shapes have rounded corners and are "pillow-looking". They are often referred to as a "pillow cut". They are very elegant, modern, and youthful.
Pear Shape
Like all fancy cut diamonds, the pear diamonds comes in a variety of proportions, however the preferred length-to-width ratio should be between 1.50-1.65. Examine the point for inclusions and color concentration.
The wing on each side of the point should be symmetryical. The rounded end should appear like a semi-circle. As with the oval and marquise, the pear brilliant may show a "boe tie".
If a prong setting is chosen, it should include a V-shaped prong at the point because that will help protect it from damage.
Oval Shape
Ovals have the added benefit of appearing larger because of their elongated shape. When selecting an oval diamond, look for even, well-rounded shoulders. Your personal preference will likely decide which width of oval is more appealing, however the optimal length-to-width ratio is 1.33-1.66:1.
Oval cut in the brilliant style displays a brightness similar to round brilliant cut diamonds. Oval brilliant cut diamonds often display a "bow-tie". Seen with the naked eye, this is a dark area which looks like two triangular pieces joined in the center of the stone.
When the diamond is viewed face-up, you the "bow-tie" to be minimized as much as possible.
Emerald Cut
Emerald cut offers rectangular facets, which create a unique optical appearance. They offer have large see-through tables thus they highlight the clarity of a diamond more than other diamond shapes.
Marquise Shape
Symmetry is an important factor for all fancy cut diamonds. Even the smallest difference can create an appearance that is not balanced. Check that each half is a mirror image of the other, and for marquises that the two points align.
Like oval, this shape pairs well with other gem shapes in multi-stone rings, and if a prong mounting is chosen, V-shaped prongs will help protect the points. If a marquise shape is too long, it could impact its durability.
Look for a length-to-width ratio of 1.75-2.25. Like the oval, the marquise diamond cut in the brilliant style should be examined for a "bow-tie" effect, and the points of the marquise should be examined for inclusions.
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
Round Brilliant
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