Your Bridal Guide to Diamond Shapes
Created in 1919, the round diamond (known as round brilliant) boasts 58 facets. The shape is extremely versatile and timeless ? looking clean, classic and modern in both simple and elaborate styles.
Princess: Trendsetter
Since its creation in 1961, the princess diamond has been popular among the fashionable. Perfectly square or slightly rectangular with pointed corners, the princess is the preferred square-cut shape. Flirty and fun, the princess is the second most popular diamond shape.
Pear: Elegant
A marriage of the marquise and the oval, this haute hybrid resembles a teardrop, round at one end and pointed at the other. The pear is well suited to the woman with a petite hand or short fingers, as the semi-elongated shape creates a slimming effect on the fingers.
Marquise: Flirty
The marquise, which was created during the 18th-century reign of Louis XIV, is allegedly named for his mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, and inspired by her smile. The uniquely tapered shape, essentially an oval with rounded sides and points at each end, is distinctive and feminine.
Emerald: Glamorous
Created during the Art Deco period, the emerald boasts long, glamorous lines, and a rectangular shape with cut corners and a step cut ? creating rows, or steps, of elongated facets. The emerald shape is typically reserved for larger diamonds of superior clarity and color.
Radiant: Dramatic
First seen in 1976, the radiant combines an elegant emerald shape with the brilliance of the round, resulting in an eight-sided squared sparkler with incredible fire ? due to an underside with 70 facets.
Oval: Sophisticated
The oval was created in the early 1960s as an adaptation of the round brilliant. It has an elliptical shape when viewed from above and often appears larger than a round stone of the same carat weight. Many are attracted to its unique and sophisticated shape.
Heart: Romantic.
The heart is the ultimate symbol of love. The unique look of the heart-shaped diamond makes it a distinctive choice for an engagement ring solitaire. The heart is the most delicate and romantic of diamond shapes, and is the most challenging to create. It is similar to the pear, but with a cleft at the top.