Diamonds come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And engagement rings certainly don’t need to showcase a diamond at the center. But a diamond is the most durable gemstone and, arguably, has the brightest shine. That being said, there are 11 types of cuts for center stones in engagement rings. Diamonds are cut into different shapes to fit into various engagement ring settings. Let’s go into greater detail on each cut’s history and popularity today.
Circular Shapes
The round-cut diamond is a classic choice for an engagement ring. It catches the light, is tried and true, and is timeless.
Round
Round diamonds represent the unity, eternal love, and wholeness of two people in a couple. You won’t find a cut that is more brilliant and light-catching than the round cut. The round shape retains the stone’s fire. Moreover, round diamonds never go out of trend. Round diamonds are the most popular center stone in engagement rings.
Rectangular/Square Shapes
Rectangular, or square-shaped rings, err on conservative but with an edge. These have an understated beauty that still emphasizes the central diamond and brings out its special sparkle.
Asscher
Asscher stones are trimmed squares that look a little like octagons. An artisan diamond cutter who went by Joseph Asscher invented the Asscher cut in 1902. He went on to found the IJ Asscher Diamond Company. The Asscher became the first patented type of diamond cut. Long, geometric facets and cut corners allow these asscher diamond rings to appear more modern than cushion-cut rings.
Cushion
A cushion stone isn’t quite a square or a rectangle. It’s softer and resembles a couch cushion. It possesses rounded corners and big facets. This cut comes from Brazilian diamond mines of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a modified version of the old mine cut.
Emerald
This shape is cut in steps into a rectangular shape with cut corners and 58 straight facets. The emerald cut has been around since the 1500s. Beyoncé herself had an emerald-cut engagement ring.
Radiant
Radiant cut diamonds closely resemble emerald cut stones, but radiant diamonds have a sparkle that compares to that of the round brilliant diamond. Radiant-shaped stones are blessed with 70 facets. These draw on characteristics from emerald-cut diamonds and round-cut diamonds. In comparison, the sparkle of emerald-cut diamond rings is more muted.
Fancy Shapes
Fancy-shaped diamonds allow for a range of unique, non-traditional engagement rings. For individuals who want more room for expression, a fancy-shaped center diamond could be the secret ingredient to sweeten your love with your partner.
An important thing to remember is that many fancy shapes are afflicted by the undesirable bow-tie effect when they’re not cut well. However, as we’ll cover below, some shapes are more likely to have this defect, indicative of a bad-quality gem, than others.
Heart
Uncommon because of the difficulty involved in their design, heart-shaped diamonds are an obvious symbol of love. This type of cut requires a skilled diamond cutter.
Note that heart-shaped stones are more prone to having a “bow-tie effect” in addition to shadowing along the stone’s edges. The bow-tie effect is a defect in a poor-quality gem’s appearance. A dark, distracting area in the central area of the stone’s body looks like a bow tie and that’s why this physical flaw is known as the bow-tie effect. The marquise stone is an elongated gem that a bow tie may also be detected in.
Buying a ring with a heart stone requires know-how. Read up on some extra guidance on hearts here.
Kite/Shield
The kite/shield diamond symbolizes purity and a strong bond. It’s shaped like a kite and is quite rare. A kite or shield-cut diamond enables the diamond to be more visible in a compelling way.
Marquise
The marquise stone shape originated from a legend set in France. It all began at a masked ball in Versailles. King Louis XV encountered Marquise de Pompadour and was smitten. She became his mistress. The king declared that she had the most perfect lips he had ever seen. The king commissioned a royal jeweler to create a design and shape to mimic the lips of the woman he was infatuated with. And that’s how the marquise cut was born!
Moval
A moval stone is a mix of the marquise style shape and the oval shape. Unlike the marquise, the moval lacks sharp endpoints but is longer than an oval.
Along that vein, a roval cut is a combination of a round cut and an oval cut.
Oval
Oval-shaped rings are less prone to chipping and can elongate how someone’s fingers look. These were first crafted in the early 1960s by a well-known Russian diamond cutter named Lazare Kaplan. It sparkles like round-cut diamonds are known to do. Some couples opt for the oval instead of a round for a more novel ring that complements the wearer’s hand. Oval diamonds also appear larger than they are due to their proportions.
One downside to picking out an oval diamond engagement ring is that there may be a “bow-tie” effect with some proportions that can impact how the stone returns light. It’s dark near the middle of the oval, and this darkness looks similar to how a bow tie looks in color and shape. The more elongated the oval, the more prominent the bow-tie effect.
Pear or Teardrop
In 1475, the pear cut was invented by the infamous Flemish diamond cutter named Lodewyk van Bercken. Within the same year of him pioneering a scaif (diamond-polishing wheel), he created the incredibly brilliant, gorgeous pear-shaped diamond. His methods transformed the diamond-cutting industry as we see it today.
Princess
A variation of the princess cut debuted in the early 1960s. It evolved from the earlier French cut. Today, it is very popularly set in an engagement ring, given how it is thought to manifest beauty. It’s appealing to those who like angles and heightened dimensions in their rings.
Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Cut: Decision Elements
Deciding on the right engagement ring can be very stressful, and there’s a lot to consider when choosing the perfect one. This GIA guide to engagement rings comes in handy, but you may want to mull over the following questions before shopping. The International Gem Society lists the most popular diamond shapes, but what’s right for everybody isn’t necessarily right for you.
Which Shape Suits You Well?
Whether the ring enhances your hand and gives you the look you desire is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Marquise, oval, and pear shapes extend and thin the look of your finger. Square shapes shorten the appearance of one’s fingers and may look nicer on lengthier, slender fingers.
Which Cut Aligns With Your Personality?
Find the cut that speaks to you and your personal aesthetic and lifestyle preferences.
Make sure you choose the setting that is most appropriate for your pace of life. Evaluate your personal style and your level of activity. If you’re not a minimalist, then “less is more” wouldn’t apply. When you love bold and big designs, a design involving, say, a small round cut stone will likely not be your top choice.
Shapes with pointed vertices, such as the marquise stone, can suffer more damage. Don’t forget this when you go shopping for rings that suit your lifestyle and who you are.
Are You Searching for a Classic and Traditional, or a Fancier Ring?
Round cuts are the most sought-after because these were designed by a Belgian mathematician named Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919 to shine most brilliantly. These are even known as the ideal cuts. For some time, pear and marquise cut diamonds were perceived as vintage, but have been making a comeback recently.
Which Stone Shape Is the Biggest?
A diamond’s size isn’t at all indicative of a diamond’s value. But if bigger is stylistically better for you, then, by all means, go big.
Marquise cut stones cover the most surface area and appear the biggest but are worth less than their smaller round diamond counterparts. Pear-shaped diamonds are the second-largest to the naked eye.
What Kind of Cut Is the Right One for Your Engagement?
In an effort to provide you with insight on selecting the engagement rings right for you, we covered every type of stone cut in an engagement ring.
At Eitani, we work with you to custom-design your ring. We specialize in understanding what you and your partner would want by getting to know you. We pride ourselves on our originality, quality, and craftsmanship. There’s little more valuable in life than love. Your soulmate should have the engagement ring she dreamt of, and beyond. As you’re preparing your proposal, don’t forget to stop by Eitani to fashion a ring better than anything you ever imagined.
Sources:
https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/guide-diamond-shapes-engagement-rings/
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/popular-diamond-shapes-engagement-rings/
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/heart-cut-diamond-buying-guide/