The shape of your diamond has a significant impact on the overall appearance of your engagement ring, making it a key consideration when choosing your forever-piece. As well as the silhouette of your ring, your diamond’s shape influences the way it reflects and refracts light; from facetted, continuous scintillation to modern gleaming flashes.
We’ve curated this detailed guide to diamond shapes for engagement rings, so that you can discover what you need to know when selecting yours.
What does diamond shape mean?
Diamond shape describes the silhouette of a diamond. It’s the way a diamond looks when viewed from above. This is different to diamond cut, which grades the quality of a round diamond’s angles and proportions.
Diamond shape is categorised into two groups: round diamonds and fancy shape diamonds. Round diamonds are the most iconic and popular cut, evoking timeless elegance. Fancy shape refers to an array of diamond cuts, including pear, oval, marquise, asscher, emerald, and more.
How many diamond shapes are there?
There are myriad different diamond shapes to choose from for your engagement ring. Among the most sought after are round and oval, loved for their timeless silhouette and radiance. Other popular diamond ring shapes include the clean and contemporary princess cut, the sleek, elegant curves of both pear and marquise, and the emerald cut, another timeless favourite.
Diamond engagement ring shapes at a glance
When searching for your forever piece, there are a variety of diamond shapes to consider. Some of the most well-known diamond shape names include round and oval, but there are many other exquisite shapes to discover.
Round shape diamond
A round brilliant cut diamond reflects an exceptional amount of light, enhancing its radiance, and, as its name suggests, exhibits the most brightness and fire of all diamond shapes.
A round brilliant cut can have 57 or 58 facets, with the 58th facet being a small flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion, typically known as the culet. While common centuries ago, today a diamond with either a very small or no cutlet is most desirable, as this will give optimum brilliance to the stone.
Oval shape diamond
The elongated shape of an oval is an elegant and subtly unique alternative to a round diamond shape.
Oval shaped diamonds that are expertly proportioned can appear larger for their carat weight, due to their elongated surface appearance. With their timeless rounded shape, oval diamonds are versatile, complementing almost any ring setting.
Princess shape diamond
A princess shape is a square cut that resembles an inverted pyramid when viewed side on, with a brilliant facet structure that creates radiant light refraction.
Its sharp, clean lines can also create the illusion of a larger diamond. Like round and oval, a princess shape is a popular choice for engagement rings due to its timeless, architectural beauty. This shape is also versatile, able to work with almost any type of ring setting.
Pear shape diamond
Also known as a teardrop, a pear shaped diamond creates magnificent brilliance. This shape offers the best of both worlds, combining the vintage-inspired elegance of a marquise cut with the classic beauty of a round diamond.
Marquise shape diamond
Marquise shaped diamonds that have been expertly proportioned can give the illusion of a larger gemstone, with their elongated silhouette. They also refract light beautifully, making them one of the most scintillating diamond shapes.
With its curved profile and elegantly tapered ends, marquise shaped diamonds create a beautiful sense of symmetry in your ring. This shape is often likened to a boat, hence its alternate name, 'navette’ (meaning ‘little boat’ in French).
Emerald shape diamond
Emerald shaped diamonds offer a spectacular mirror-like gleam, and look best with a high clarity grade due to their simpler facet structure, with maximum light passing through the diamond.
The larger surface area of an emerald shape can also create the illusion of a larger size, while its sharp clean lines and flashes of light offer contemporary elegance.
Why is a diamond’s shape important?
Each diamond shape comes with its own set of unique characteristics that affect its overall look and appeal. Diamond shapes featuring many, smaller facets, such as round, pear, and marquise diamonds, for example, are better at hiding minor inclusions than diamond shapes with fewer, larger facets such as emerald and asscher cuts.
Diamond shapes offer a glimpse into your personal style, and determine the unique way the diamond reflects and refracts light. When light enters the diamond, it is refracted against the different facets, creating scintillation, fire, and brilliance. The structure of these facets determines your diamond’s unique play of light.
What does diamond shape symbolise?
The shapes of diamonds are a deeply personal choice, especially when it comes to engagement rings, as they reflect your individual style as well as your unique love story.
Round and oval shapes have long been symbols of timeless elegance and sophistication, perfect for those who have a fondness for the classics. Both shapes are defined by their rounded silhouettes, signifying perfection and a love without end.
Unique diamond ring shapes like marquise and pear can suggest individuality and independence. With connections to royalty and aristocracy, they symbolise luxury, and evoke vintage-inspired chic. Such distinct shapes also have links to love and romance that echo beautifully throughout their design.
Equally as romantic and regal is the emerald cut. This cut symbolises true love and fidelity, its rectangular shape representing the strong foundation of a relationship. Like the marquise shape, it also offers a classic, vintage inspired elegance, dating back to the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s.
The princess cut has modern charm and is believed to represent the values of trust, honesty and understanding. Its clean lines and angular shape also suggest harmony and balance.
The shape of a diamond impacts its unique play of light, as well as the overall appearance of your forever piece. The perfect shape for you will honour your personal style and lend to a timeless piece you will love always.
Explore our range of beautifully crafted engagement rings at Michael Hill, to find your perfect piece.
