Diamond Cuts and Diamond Shapes [Guide]

When buying a Diamond it is important to understand the different Diamond cuts and Diamond shapes. Diamond as a jewel is used to enhance the beauty of the person who adorns it. The grading and value of the diamonds varies based on the diamond cuts and diamond shapes. This makes up one of the four C’s used to value Diamonds.

The Four C’s Of Diamonds

Diamonds are distinguished based on the four Cs which are the Color of the diamond, the Carat of the diamond, the Cut of the diamond, and the Clarity of the diamond. These four Cs determines the quality of the diamond. Generally the rough shape of the diamond will determine the type of cut it undergoes. A diamond enthusiast is visually allured by the different diamond shapes.

The C which means the Cut is determined by the shape of the Diamond in the rough. The color, the clarity and the carat weight all depend on how the diamond cutter interpenetrates the rough. The diamond cutter has to take into consideration the weight of the final stone and also if there are any fractures or flaws in the original diamond. The ultimate goal is to minimize the loss of weight during the cutting process. Diamond cutting is a difficult job that is helped by the use of advanced technology. The professional diamond cutter follows a plan on how to attain maximum weight with color and clarity to allure the admirers. Diamond Cuts and Diamond Shapes

Diamond Cuts

Below are the different diamond shapes, namely: the Round shape, the Princess shape, the Marquise shape, the Emerald shape, the Cushion shape, the Radiant shape, the Pear shape, the Oval shape, and the Asscher shape.

The Round cut diamond: The Round shape is supposed to be the most common and famous among the diamond admirers. The cut which has evolved over the years now includes 58 facets.

The Princess cut diamond: The princess cut diamond is very sophisticated as the name itself indicates. It comes in square and rectangular shapes. The princess cut diamonds give out different colors at each corner in the princess cut diamond.

The Cushion cut diamond: The cushion cut diamonds are also available in square and rectangular shapes. They have maximum clarity and brightness and many of the old famous Diamonds are cut this way. The most well known would be the Cullinan II Diamond.

The Marquise cut diamond: The marquise cut diamond has a maximum carat weight. The marquise cut diamond depicts the actual shape of the diamond rough. Special care should be taken with this cut so as to not damage the points

The Emerald cut diamond: The emerald cut diamond is rectangular and gives a larger clarity to the enthusiasts because of its wide width.

The Radiant cut diamond: As the name indicates it has a maximum radiance because of its craftsmanship. The corners are trimmed and it is eight-cornered.

The pear cut diamond: The pear shape diamond gives a sleek and savvy look.

The oval cut diamond: The oval cut diamond is as popular as the round cut diamond. It enhances the jewelry with its sleek design.

The Asscher cut diamond: The Asscher cut is popular and it enhances the color due to its cut. It is a more modern cut that has become very popular among the younger generation.

Diamond Shapes

When it comes to Diamond shapes it is important to note that the shape only refers to the overall shape of the stone. It does not take into account the cutting style of the Diamond. For example, a round shaped Diamond can be cut with the modern brilliant cut (58 facets) or any number of different cutting styles. The old European cutting style of round Diamonds had fatter, larger facets as opposed to the modern way of cutting round Diamonds. The image below from the GIA shows how the evolution of the round brilliant Diamond with all of the different cutting styles.