Shape is the first decision, and often the most personal. It affects how a diamond sparkles, how large it appears, and how it wears.
Round brilliant. Fifty-seven or fifty-eight facets designed for maximum light return. The most brilliant shape, the most classic, and the most precisely graded. It costs more per carat than any other because more rough is lost in cutting it.
Oval. The brilliance of a round in a longer outline. Appears larger than a round of the same weight, and elongates the finger. Look carefully at the “bow-tie”, a darker band across the centre, which varies stone to stone.
Emerald. Step-cut, with long rectangular facets. Less sparkle, more flashes of light. Shows clarity and colour more honestly than any other shape, so it needs a clean, white stone.
Cushion. A softened square. Romantic, slightly antique in feeling. Available in many facet arrangements, so two cushions can look very different.
Pear. A teardrop; a round at one end, a point at the other. Beautiful in pendants and earrings, and dramatic as a ring. Symmetry is everything.
Marquise, princess, radiant, Asscher. Each has its devotees. We keep examples of all of them, and we will happily put several side by side so you can see which speaks to you.
The right shape is the one that pleases the person wearing it. That is the only rule.
