A Diamond's Shape

Are you or your future bride's tastes very classic or funky? Your diamond is all yours...no matter what the shape.

The shape of a diamond is a very personal choice - it completely depends on your taste and style. Here is a list of the shapes of diamonds you will come across:

ROUND
The round brilliant cut diamond is by far the most popular diamond shape. It is also the most researched shape, so you'll be sure to come across many variations.
EMERALD
Emerald cut diamonds are distinguished by their pavilion (the bottom portion of a diamond), which is cut with rectangular facets to create an optical appearance. As it has a large, open table (often flat on the top but rectangular in shape), emerald cut diamonds highlight the stone's clarity.  The classic emerald cut diamond has a length-to-width ratio between 1.30 and 1.40 (length to width ratio is L /W and is done in millimetres).
ASSCHER
This diamond is almost identical to the emerald cut, except it is a square shape instead of rectangular. When considering the stone's colour, remember that over J, you will most likely be able to view slight colour in the corners of the diamond. 
PRINCESS
This is probably the second-most-popular engagement ring stone after the round diamond. It is traditional square in shape with pointed corners. Princess cut diamonds vary in how square they are, so to ensure you choose the shape you like, determine the length-to-width ratio that you prefer. For square cuts, consider a length-to-width ratio between 1 and 1.05. For a more rectangular shape, look for a ration greater than 1.10.
MARQUISE
Marquise diamonds are shaped like an eye and can maximise carat weight, if a large-sized diamond is of importance to you. As they are tall an slender, marquise diamonds often make the finger look long and skinny. The most traditional cuts have a length-to-width ratio between 1.75 and 2.25.
OVAL
An oval diamond has a similar brilliance to the round diamond, but due to its slightly longer length, it has the same slimming effect on the finger as the marquise diamond does. The most traditional oval diamonds have length-to-width ratios between 1.33 and 1.66.
RADIANT
Radiant diamonds are square in shape, but unlike the princess cut, they have trimmed, rounding corners. They can also vary in their degree of rectangularity. For a radiant diamond that is square, keep your eye out for length-to-width ratios between 1 and 1.05. Rectangular shapes tend to have ratios greater than 1.10.
PEAR
The pear-shaped diamond is also called "teardrop", as it is rounded on one end and pointed on the other. The interesting characteristic of a pear shaped diamond is that it has a different visual effect depending on how you place the diamond (pointing up or pointing down). The most traditional pear-shaped diamonds have length-to-width ratios between 1.45 and 1.77.
HEART
The heart-shaped diamond is a cut unlike any other - a literal symbol of love! The traditional heart-shaped diamond will have a length-to-width ration between .90 and 1.10.
CUSHION
The cushion-cut diamond is a shape that sits between a circle and a square. Also known as "pillow cut" diamonds, these stones have rounded corners and larger facets, which together increases their brilliance. Like the emerald and asscher, the cushion-cut diamond highlights the stone's clarity. For a more square shape, look for a length-to-width ratio between 1 and 1.05. For a rectangular shape, consider a ratio greater than 1.15.