The shape of a ring's center stone is, more often than not, the first thing someone notices when their eyes first take in a piece. It gives the ring personality and style, as simply changing the center stone can dramatically affect the look and feel of any given ring. Knowing a few details about each center cut can be essential to finding the right stone for you. Here's a little brush-up on one of the Jewelery 101 basics : Stone Cuts.
Round
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The most popular of the diamond shapes, the Round cut is designed to maximize the brilliance, fire and scintillation of a stone. In other words, its "sparkle". Not surprisingly, it is also known as a "Brilliant Cut'" from the amount of sparkle its gives off. The earliest recorded round diamond dates back to 1477, when the first diamond engagement ring was given to Mary of Burgundy as a promise of marriage.
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Princess
This angular cut is the second most popular diamond cut, similar to that of an inverted pyramid with four beveled sides
. First made in the 1960's, it is still a relatively new diamond cut. The Princess cut retains the high amount of brilliance that a Round cut exhibits but does it with a distinctive square shape. And when compared to a stone of the same carat weight of a Round cut, a Princess cut will appear 15% larger.
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Oval
Like the Princess, the Oval cut is another modified Brilliant that came around in the 1960's. However, Oval diamonds have the advantage of an elongated shape, giving the illusion than it's larger than it actually is. How fat or narrow the Oval is is usually based on personal preference, with the classic cut falling in the middle around 1.35 - 1.50 millimeters. More slender cuts make the wearer's finger look slightly elongated while thicker cuts make the Oval look larger than what it's actual carat size may be.
Marquise
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The Marquise diamond has one of the largest crown surface areas of any other shape, making it a good choice when trying to maximize how big a diamond
looks. What is most important in a Marquise is its symmetry, with the best marquise being a complete mirror image of itself when you divide it in half. The name is derived from the Marquise of Pompadour, for whom King Louis
XIV of France allegedly had a stone fashioned to resemble, what he
considered, her perfectly shaped mouth.
Emerald
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What the Emerald cut lacks in brilliance, it makes up in elegance. Instead of extreme sparkle, it produces a "hall of mirrors" effect, with interplay of light and dark in its step cuts. Its long inner cuts cause dramatic flashes of light and gives it more of an exquisite feel than that of the Brilliant. The shape of the cut was originally developed for the cutting of emeralds, and thus became its name.
Cushion
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The Cushion cut, once referred to as the old mine cut, is a square cut with rounded corners, much like a pillow (hence
the name). This classic cut has been around for almost 200 years and,
for the first century of its existence, it was the most popular diamond
shape to have like the Round is today. Until the early 20th century, the
cushion cut diamond was the de facto diamond shape.
Partially based on cut research in the
1920's, refinements to Cushion diamonds have led to a resurgence in popularity. Many buyers are attracted to
the antique feel combined with its modern performance.
Pear
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The Pear-shaped cut
is another modified Brilliant cut and combines a round and a marquise shape with a tapered point
on one end. The diamond is always worn with the narrow end pointing
toward the hand of the wearer. Like Marquise and Oval cuts, the pear
shaped diamond comes in a variety of slim to wide cuts and should posses good, if not perfect, symmetry.
Radiant
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First popular in the 1980's, the cropped corner square shape of the Radiant is a nice bridge between a Cushion and a Princess cut
. There are diverse preferences when it comes to shape in radiant cut diamonds, from perfectly square to a more traditional rectangle. The rectangular radiant cut is an excellent option for buyers who like the Emerald cut shape, but want something with the brilliance of a Round cut.
Asscher
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The Asscher cut diamond was first produced in 1902 by the
Asscher Brothers of Holland, famous at the time for cutting the world's
largest rough stone, the Cullinan, weighing in at a whopping 3,106 carats. Around 2002, one hundred years after the first Asscher was
created, the shape began to make a comeback, spurred on by cut
modifications that gave the shape more brilliance than the traditional Asscher cut. The modern cut is similar to a square Emerald cut but often produces more brilliance.
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Heart
The unique and unmistakable symbol of love, Heart shaped diamonds are very popular in solitaire pendants as well as rings.
Symmetry is a very important when choosing a Heart since it is critical that the two halves are identical. It is another modified Brilliant cut, full of brilliance and fire, appropriate for a stone embodying the universal shape for love. Popular since the 1400's, it has been used for many types of pieces of jewelry, from simply sentimental to romantic alike.
No matter what the center, each stone cut is unique and brings something special to the ring it sits in. Whether sparkly or elegant, romantic or antique, a diamond's timelessness has remained steadfast over the centuries and will probably continue to do so for years to come.
