There are many different shapes for diamonds.  The most popular being the round brilliant, but the other shapes that have been invented cover a wide range of shapes.  Some jewelers have custom cuts similar to these standards that produce different effects such as the Round Brilliant Hearts and Arrows cut.  In this lesson, you will learn to identify some of the popular shapes seen in stores today.  The illustrations below will help with identifying those shapes with a little bit of history to go with it.

Round brilliants are the most popular diamond shape sold today selling 75% more than the others. It set the standard for all other diamond shapes.  A standard Round Brilliant has 58 facet cuts all around designed to achieve maximum brilliance and fire.  57 if it has a pointed culet.

Invented in the 1960’s, oval cut diamonds are just as beautiful as round brilliants due to its similar facet cuts. The length of an oval cut diamond gives the illusion of lengthening the hand.

The Marquise cut or Navette cut is an elongated shaped diamond with pointed ends.  It was inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and commissioned by the Sun King, France's Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match it. The added length of a marquise diamond gives the illusion of lengthening the hand.

The Pear cut or Teardrop Cut combines the best parts of the oval and marquise cuts. The added length of a pear cut diamond gives the illusion of lengthening the hand. It can be used beautifully as a pendant or earrings.

The Heart cut is the ultimate symbol for romance no matter where you are. The shape of the heart cut is basically a widen pear shape with a cleft at the top.

The Princess Cut is a square or rectangular cut with many sparkling facets. Because of the design of the cuts, princess cut diamonds are often deeper than other cuts to maximize its brilliance. Many people use princess cut diamonds for solitaire engagement rings, sometimes with triangular accent stones.

The Emerald Cut is a rectangular shape with cut corners. Due to the concentric broad, flat facets, this cut is known as a step cut. Because of these broad facets, an emerald cut diamond will easily show any inclusions or inferior color in the diamond, so be sure to choose a better quality diamond.

The Radiant Cut is combines the best qualities of the princess and emerald. The 70 facet cuts of this square or rectangular cut combines the brilliance of a princess with the shape of an emerald cut. Like the princess cut, radiant cuts are often deeper than other cuts.

The Cushion Cut, also known as the Pillow Cut or Candlelight Cut, is a square antique style cut that has broad facets and rounded corners. The broad facets are to increase its sparkle under candlelight. Because of these broad facets, a cushion cut diamond will easily show any inclusions or inferior color in the diamond, so be sure to choose a better quality diamond.

The Baguette Cut is a small, rectangular cut often used as accent stones. This cut is also known as a step-cut due to its long step-like facets. If the baguette's two shorter sides are different sizes, it is called a "Tapered Baguette.

The Trillian Cut is a triangular cut, sometimes with bowed sides.  First developed in Amsterdam around the late 70’s, the exact cut can vary depending on the cutter’s preference. Trillian cut diamonds are often used as side stones rather than the center stone making it difficult to find larger sizes.

The Asscher Cut combines the shape of a radiant cut with the broad facets of an emerald cut designed in 1902 by the Asscher brothers of Amsterdam, Holland.  Because of these broad facets, an emerald cut diamond will easily show any inclusions or inferior color in the diamond, so be sure to choose a better quality diamond.  Asscher cut diamonds were popular around the 1930 and have recently come back into fashion.

The Rose Cut diamond shape was first introduced in the late 1500’s by a jeweler experimenting unique geometric shapes and were popular up until the early 1900’s.  Rose Cut diamonds are unlike any other cut and is making a comeback in popularity.  Its anatomy is totally different from the usual shapes you see.  Just like the best part of a muffin is its top, rose cut diamonds take the best part of a diamond, the crown.  Instead of the usual table and facets found in a regular crown, a rose cut crown is domed with facets shaped like rose petals.

Any shape that is not round is technically called a fancy cut.  At DiamondOction.com, we consider any shape not listed here as fancy.  These can include shapes that combine other shapes, such as our Half-Moon shape or Diamond shape.  On rare occasions, our diamond cutters will experiment way outside the box and create such unique shapes like the letter shapes in the illustration.