Diamond Shapes

Have you ever seen a diamond in the flesh?

Diamonds are not like pearls, found immaculate in their original form inside a shell. Quite in the contrary, rough diamonds come in any shape and size -unpredictable indeed- and it´s going to be the diamond cutter´s job to give them shape, always trying to maximize carat weight and value. Early diamond cutting was a labor-intensive effort lacking the technology, tools and knowledge that cutters enjoy today. So, we have grown to appreciate these antique stones for their backstory.

The value of a diamond is in part determined by the amount of wastage in the rough diamond when is being cut to create any diamond shape. So, any logical mind would think that the cut that generates less waste will be the most expensive, right? Well, not really. Round cut diamonds for example are the ones that generate more wastage when given their shape, still somehow are more expensive than other fancy shapes that need less uniform shaping and capture more of the rough diamond. How can that be? See, popularity and availability are the other factors that determine the price of the diamond, and in this case, round cut diamonds have been bang on trend for ages.

These days rough diamonds can be given any imaginable shape, but we are going to examinate the 10 most popular ones: Round, Princess, Cushion, Oval, Emerald, Pear, Marquise, Asscher, Radiant and Heart shape.

Round cut: All the rage

The history of the round cut diamond is a little bit different than other shapes. To begin with, it took an enormous amount of time and diamond cutting to get to the result we know. It was basically invented by experts in the attempt to find the diamond cut with the most facets and the most shine.

Princess cut: What woman want

Are you familiar with the expression “Customer is always right”? This statement applies perfectly to princess cut diamonds because it was basically created way back in the 14th Century after interviewing women for several years, trying to find out what they really wanted.

Cushion cut: The sparkling pillow

The cushion cut diamond dates back to the 19th century but somehow it´s called “the old new classic” meaning it has the power of coexisting in trend both in the past and in the present time.

Emerald cut: Art Deco in your hand

Believe it or not, not everyone prefers the flashy brilliance of a round diamond. There are tons of people going for something more subtle and sophisticated, like the beloved emerald cut. Emerald diamond cuts were some of the very first diamond cuts in the world.

Radiant cut: Shinny 70´s

This cut has a creator with a first and last name and surprisingly enough it didn’t happen that far in time. It was invented by Henry Grossbard in 1977 because he was trying to combine the best aspects of the round cut with the best aspects of the emerald cut and since then is considered to be one of the shiniest cuts of diamonds because of its 70-facet cut.

Asscher cut: The X shape

As we´ve been learning, most diamond shapes are named from what they look like: round brilliant, pear, oval, or heart shape. But one stand-out diamond shape is both sophisticated and bears a fascinating historical appellation that has nothing to do with its shape.

Marquise cut: The French Kiss

So you like romance, right? There was a french king, let´s say Louis XV, who despite being married to Marie Antoinette also had several mistresses, a common practice with royalty, then (and now). One of his favorite lovers was Madame du Pompadour.

Pear cut: The fancy fruit

The pear shaped diamond setting can be described as the result of putting marquise shaped diamonds and oval shaped diamonds into a blender. The result is a more brilliant and magical diamond cut that resembles a teardrop; a slightly flatter and larger bottom with the rest of the diamond coming to a skinny point at the top of the stone.

Oval cut: Diamond ellipses

The first known oval cut diamond was recorded in 1304. Paintings featuring diamonds during the medieval and Renaissance were dark, though as the centuries moved on, cutters learned how to facet diamonds to increase their scintillation. It obviously has been getting better and popular with time, and their light show is comparable to a round brilliant diamond.

Heart Cut: All you need is love

Do you treasure every princess Disney movie? Do you know the words to every Michael Bubble´s song? Then this is definitely your diamond cut. I mean, what shouts "love" more than a heart?