Engagement Rings - Choosing the Perfect Diamond Shape

Round Diamonds

Round brilliant cut focal diamond with baguettes on shank

Don't Be Overwhelmed

Selecting an engagement ring can be overwhelming if you go shopping unprepared, because there are many decisions to make in order to get the "best" engagement ring for you (or you fiancé's) tastes and lifestyle.

Choosing a gemstone shape is one of the decisions you'll have to make, and it's an important one. This visual tour of the most popular diamond shapes preps you for the thousands of engagement ring designs you'll see when you go shopping.

Round Diamonds

Round is the most popular diamond shape used in engagement rings, and the round brilliant cut, shown above, is the most popular of the rounds.

What's Ideal

When you shop, you'll see references to ideal cut diamonds.

That label means that the diamond has been cut in such a way to make best use of its characteristics. The cutter must usually remove more of the rough stone in order to achieve ideal, and that's a decision that sacrifices carat size in favor of overall beauty.

Square & Rectangle Diamonds

Square and rectangular diamond shapes include the popular princess cut, emerald cut, and radiant cut diamonds.

Rectangular shaped diamonds aren't always a "standard" shape--with the long side twice as long as the short. They are found with a variety of proportions.

Avoid the Bow Tie

Marquise diamonds sometimes have a bow tie near their mid-sections, a shadowy image that's a sign of poor proportions. The effect is not uncommon in marquise cuts, pear shaped diamonds and other fancy shapes. The more pronounced the bow tie, the less proportional the cut.

The pointed tips of a marquise diamond are often protected by v-shaped or decorative prongs.