The shape of a rough diamond crystal is octahedral. The cuttermust cut in such a way as to maximize its weight , brillianceand minimize its flaws. The diamondcut influences the value of the diamond.
About 75% of all diamond sold are round brilliant. There areother shapes like emerald, princess, oval, marquise, heart ,pear shape.
The round brilliant gives the most brilliance . Its facet andproportion has been perfected using science and mathematicalanalysis conducted by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. Modifiedbrilliants have the same facets and facet arrangement. Thefollowing are all modified brilliants: marquise, heart, oval andpear shape.
Step cut diamonds do not sparkle as much as the brilliant cutdiamonds. However they highlight the clarity of the diamond. Ifthere are any inclusions these will be visible. Example of stepcut is the emerald shape.
The mixed cut is a combination of the brilliant and step cut.The step cut is applied on the crown while the brilliant cut isgiven to the pavilion. An example of this cut is the Princesscut.
Contrary to expectations, fancy cut diamonds is more affordablethan the brilliant round cut diamond. This is because they arecut to maximize their weight. There is less cutting and wastefor a princess cut. A rough diamond cut into a brilliant roundmay only yield half a carat compared to another 50% more caratfor fancy cut diamonds.
You also need to consider the shape of your hands. If you haveshort fingers or small hands wearing a marquise or oval shapediamond ring will wear your fingers look longer.
Pear shaped diamonds tend to be used for pendant and earringssuch as these diamond pear shape earrings.
If you are concerned about clarity and color then go for thebrilliant round as it covers these flaws well with itsbrilliance. On the other hand inclusions and poorer colorationis most obvious in the emerald shape since its shape is the mostuncluttered of all.Therefore, it is imperative to pick a higherquality emerald shape diamond if you are interested in thisshape.
If you are a romantic at heart and want a diamond to symbolizeyour love to your spouse , consider getting a heart shape diamond. It is actually a pear shape with a cleft atthe top.
The size of a diamond is also affected by the shape of thediamond. A one carat emerald diamond with a bigger table andless depth give an appearance of bigger size diamond than a twocarat brilliant round with a smaller table but greater depth.
About the author:Here is where you can find diamonds inthese various shapes.
