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Diamond Cuts
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Diamond Shapes
The difference between diamond cuts and diamond shapes: cuts are used to create diamond shapes! Below you will find the five different types of cuts, their pros and cons, and what types of shapes are formed from each of the cuts. If you are interested in a specific type of shape, check out our engagement ring styles section.
The Round Brilliant Cut: - The Round Brilliant cut maximizes a diamond's ability to reflect light back to the viewer. This is the cut that has the maximum amount of brilliance and fire, and due to it's stunning optical effects it has become the most popular type of cut since it's invention in the early 1900s.
- The Round Brilliant cut is the standard by which the cut grade of the 4 C's is based upon; this cut contains 58 facets which must be perfectly symmetrically aligned to achieve the highest levels of brilliance and fire.
 The Round Brilliant- The pros of the round brilliant cut: in addition to it's light reflective qualities the brilliant cut also has the highest resale value, and the round shape of the brilliant cut diamond is stronger and more durable than any of the other cuts.
- The cons of the round brilliant cut: to achieve the standard by which this cut must conform to, most of the diamond's original weight is sacrificed (on average 50% of the diamond's rough weight is lost), as a result of the weight loss larger carat round brilliant diamonds are priced higher than other cut diamonds and they are not as common.
The Modified Brilliant Cut: - The modified brilliant cut is sometimes categorized as a fancy cut (as are all other cuts which are not a round brilliant cut), while in other cases it is categorized as a type of brilliant cut. Whatever the case, the modified brilliant cut is used to create 'fancy shapes' which still retain the facet symmetry standard of the original round brilliant cut. The results are fancy diamond shapes that have a large amount of brilliance and fire.
 The Oval Cut- The most popular type of fancy shapes of the modified brilliant cut include the heart, marquise, oval, pear (also known as the tear drop), and trillion. While these shapes are often called cuts, (such as the 'marquise cut'), they are technically shapes formed from the modified brilliant cut.
- The pros of the modified brilliant cut: This cut forms shapes which may be more appealing to consumers, the shapes are able to reflect a large amount of light back to the viewer, and this type of cut also has a high resale value.
- The cons of the modified brilliant cut: In some shapes a 'bow tie effect' may occur, this type of visual effect causes a bow tie shadow to appear when the viewer is looking directly down at the diamond. Some fancy shapes, such as the heart and trillion, are not as durable as rounder shapes because the points on these shapes can become damaged; properly arranging these shapes in strong settings can reduce any possibility of damage.
*The Next Three Types of Diamond Cuts Are Always Categorized as Fancy Cut Diamonds
The Step Cut:- The step cut, also known as the trap cut, creates fancy diamond shapes which are square or rectangular. Many of these shapes have corners which have been shortened to reduce any chance of breakage or damage.The facets of these shapes are also rectangular in shape, and the stones are often very shallow. This type of cut was created in order to maximize the carat size of a diamond and retain most of the diamond's original weight.
- Fancy shapes that are formed from the step cut include the asscher, baguette, emerald, kite, lozenge, obus, trapeze, and the triangle (also known as trilliant). These shapes are often called cuts too, (such as the emerald cut), but they are technically shapes formed by a type of step cut.
 The Emerald Cut- The pros of the step cut: for those who enjoy a square or rectangular shaped diamond, and for those who want a high carat weight, this is the perfect cut.
- The cons of a step cut: This cut sacrifices brilliance for weight, so this type of cut will not have the bright light reflective qualities of the brilliant cut. The shallow size of the diamond, and wide facets, will show any type of minute inclusion or blemish to the naked eye, so it is best to purchase a step cut diamond that has a high clarity grade.
The Mixed Diamond Cuts: - The mixed cut is a combination of the step cut and the modified brilliant cut. This type of cut is relatively new (the first dating to the 1960s), and it was created in order to form diamond shapes outside of the standard round shape which have a large amount of brilliance and fire while still retaining a majority of the stone's original weight.
- Fancy diamond shapes formed from the mixed cut are square or rectangular as well and include the barion, flanders, princess, and radiant shapes (*The radiant shape is sometimes categorized as a modified brilliant). Again, these shapes are often referred to as cuts (such as the princess cut) but they are technically shapes formed by a type of mixed cut.
 The Princess Cut- Pros of the mixed cut: While the mixed cut does not have as much brilliance and fire as the modified brilliant cut it comes pretty close while still maintaining a large percentage of the stone's original weight.
- Cons of the mixed cut: The mixed diamond cuts need to be securely set to reduce the chance of delicate corners breaking or cracking.
The Old World Diamond Cuts: - The Old World cuts include the Old Minor Cut, the European Cut, and the Rose Cut. These are cuts that were originally used to shape diamonds before the emergence of the round brilliant cut. Many antique diamonds come in various shapes which are formed from these types of cuts.
- Pros of Old World Diamond Cuts: For people who love the look of an antique diamond these are the perfect types of cuts.
- Cons of Old World Diamond Cuts: Old World Cuts tend to have a large bottom facet known as a culet; a large culet will cause light to 'leak' from the bottom of the diamond reducing the overall brilliance and fire, and if one is looking at the diamond from the top the diamond may look like it has a hole in the bottom of it. However, some people really love this old fashioned look originally designed to shine and shimmer in the soft light of candles and gas lamps.
Do You Have Questions Or Comments About Diamond Cuts?
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