About Diamonds

Diamond Cuts and Shapes

You’ve probably heard the terms "diamond cut" and "diamond shape" used interchangeably when it comes to diamonds. However, these terms have two very distinct definitions. Diamond shapes refer to the outline, e.g., a pear, round, or heart. Diamond cuts refer to the arrangement of the diamond's facets, as in brilliant or emerald diamond cuts. There’s no best diamond cut, it really depends on your personal preference.

Antique old cut and old European cut diamonds are commonly found in antique jewelry from the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco eras. Diamonds from this time were cut by hand giving them a natural charm and beauty. These old cut diamonds are best appreciated individually because they are full of character but difficult to grade under our modern machine standards. Old cut diamonds carry history and hand-crafted charm and are becoming rarer and more difficult to find.

Rose cut		Flat-bottomed with dome-shaped crowns covered in triangular facets, from as few as 3 up to 24 facets. Shallow cut rose cut diamonds let light through the stone and benefit from a mirror back to reflect light. The rose cut diamond was one of the leading diamond cuts from the 16th-19th century. The rose cut diamond is still a popular shape today, admired for their unique style and their soft, diffused sparkle.
Old Mine cut		Typically found in antique rings. Unique cushion-like shape with 58 facets. Old mine cut diamonds feature a small table facet atop a high crown, and large culet (the round facet on the very bottom of the stone).
Old European cut		Cut in a style developed in Europe and popular from 1890 to 1930. Round shape, larger table, lower crown, and the 58 facets became more elongated. Old European cuts tend to have a rounder shape than old mine cuts.
Round Brilliant cut		Developed in 1919 and the most popular diamond shape. Round on top and tapering into a cone, the round brilliant has 58 facets. On the top half or crown, 33 facets and the bottom half 25 facets.
Half cut		Also known as single cut or eight cut diamonds. Small round diamonds are typically half cut or full cut diamonds. Half cut diamonds feature 16 facets—a simpler cut compared to full-cut diamonds.
Marquise		Also known as the Navette shape, this is a brilliant cut generally containing 58 facets with 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. Marquise cuts have the largest surface area of any diamond.
Emerald		Rectangle-shaped, usually contains 57 facets. Emerald diamonds have long facets & layered corners that resemble stairs.
Cushion		The cushion- or pillow-cut diamonds range in shape from square to rectangular with rounded corners and larger facets.
Baguette		Baguette cut diamonds tend to be small rectangular shaped diamonds commonly used as shoulder or accent stones. Technically they have very limited faceting and are arranged in a linear step pattern.
Oval		The oval cut is a modified round brilliant cut diamond. Created in 1957, the oval cut has 57 or 58 facets.
Princess		The princess cut diamond is square in shape and brilliant cut. These diamonds feature between 57 and 76 facets.

Rose cut	Flat-bottomed with dome-shaped crowns covered in triangular facets, from as few as 3 up to 24 facets. Shallow cut rose cut diamonds let light through the stone and benefit from a mirror back to reflect light. The rose cut diamond was one of the leading diamond cuts from the 16th-19th century. The rose cut diamond is still a popular shape today, admired for their unique style and their soft, diffused sparkle.

Old Mine cut	Typically found in antique rings. Unique cushion-like shape with 58 facets. Old mine cut diamonds feature a small table facet atop a high crown, and large culet (the round facet on the very bottom of the stone).

Old European cut	Cut in a style developed in Europe and popular from 1890 to 1930. Round shape, larger table, lower crown, and the 58 facets became more elongated. Old European cuts tend to have a rounder shape than old mine cuts.

Round Brilliant cut	Developed in 1919 and the most popular diamond shape. Round on top and tapering into a cone, the round brilliant has 58 facets. On the top half or crown, 33 facets and the bottom half 25 facets.

Half cut	Also known as single cut or eight cut diamonds. Small round diamonds are typically half cut or full cut diamonds. Half cut diamonds feature 16 facets—a simpler cut compared to full-cut diamonds.

Marquise	Also known as the Navette shape, this is a brilliant cut generally containing 58 facets with 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. Marquise cuts have the largest surface area of any diamond.

Emerald	Rectangle-shaped, usually contains 57 facets. Emerald diamonds have long facets & layered corners that resemble stairs.

Cushion	The cushion- or pillow-cut diamonds range in shape from square to rectangular with rounded corners and larger facets.

Baguette	Baguette cut diamonds tend to be small rectangular shaped diamonds commonly used as shoulder or accent stones. Technically they have very limited faceting and are arranged in a linear step pattern.

Oval	The oval cut is a modified round brilliant cut diamond. Created in 1957, the oval cut has 57 or 58 facets

Princess	The princess cut diamond is square in shape and brilliant cut. These diamonds feature between 57 and 76 facets.