The Evolution of Diamond Shape Cuts Through History

The Sparkling Allure of Diamond shape cuts

Diamonds dazzle us with their enduring beauty and brilliance. But not alldiamonds shine the same. Their sparkle depends greatly on how skillfully they are cut and polished. Let's explore the alluring world of diamond cuts more closely.

The Anatomy of Diamond Brilliance 

A diamond's beauty lies in its ability to bend and reflect light. Its cut brings out this brilliance. When expertly cut, light enters through the table and crown, reflects between the pavilion facets, and projects back through the top in a rainbow sparkle [1]. The ratio of crown height to pavilion depth, along with precise polish and symmetry, create different diamond shapes with unique personalities.

Most Popular Round Brilliant Diamond

The classic round brilliant cut reigns as the most popular diamond shape, making up 75% of diamonds sold [2]. Its 57 precisely angled facets (33 on crown, 24 on pavilion) provide maximum sparkle [3]. Slight rounding of the corners adds further allure. The ideal cut round brilliant has a table of 54-58% and a depth of 58-62.5% . Their dazzling fire and brilliance explain the enduring popularity of round brilliant diamonds.

Charming Cushion Diamond Cut 

The cushion cut diamond emanates vintage charm with its softly rounded edges. With 58 facets similar to a round brilliant, light bounces around gloriously inside a cushion diamond [5]. Their large, open tables give prominence to inclusions. But their graceful brilliance has romanced brides for over two centuries. The elongated cushion cut adds unique flair. Cushion diamonds live up to their name in providing comfort with soft sparkle.

Oval Diamond Love Affair

The oval cut diamond makes hearts race a little faster with its delicate elegance. An elongated rounded brilliant, its 58 facets beautifully display a diamond's fire and brilliance [6]. Specialized oval cutting techniques allow inclusion free diamonds of over five carats even in more affordable SI clarity grades [7]. The elongated shape creates the illusion of greater size on the finger. An oval diamond surround by a halo of smaller stones makes a particularly alluring statement for engagement rings or pendants.

Princess Diamonds Reign Supreme 

Second only to rounds, princess cut diamonds hold steadily around 15% market share [8]. Their distinct geometry displays beautiful sparkle as the light dances across their square or rectangular shapes. Unsurpassed in fire and brilliance, princess cut diamonds project light up brilliantly even in dim lighting. First seen in the 1960s, princess cut diamonds saw resurgence in the late 1990s. Their popularity continues thanks to their regal elegance and versatile pairing options for jewelry.

Beguiling Pear Shaped Diamond

Pear shaped diamonds entice the eye with their tapered silhouettes that culminate in a single point [9]. Their brilliance emanates from 58 expertly placed facets. Pear shapes retain the width of rounds or ovals for that solid finger coverage in solitaire settings. The unique teardrop shape adds dimension and a delicate femininity. Pear shaped diamonds make flattering accent stones to highlight round or princess cut center stones as well.

Heart Cut Diamonds Symbolize Love 

Nothing says romance more clearly than a heart shaped diamond with its bilateral symmetry echoing nature’s most revered pattern. The cleft at the top adds alluring intricacy. An angular heart shaped diamond conveys a more contemporary look while rounded edges offer an softer, vintage style. Because the complex shape retains less mass, heart diamonds tend to stay in carat sizes under one carat. While not as brilliant in light return as rounds, fancy shape heart cut diamonds remain highly coveted as romantic betrothal tokens and anniversary gifts.

Art Deco Inspiration of Asscher Cut

Asscher cut diamonds pay homage to the glamour of 1920s Art Deco style with their dramatically trimmed corners resulting in an octagonal shape. Hallmarked by its captivating stepped facets, Asscher cut diamonds embody vintage sophistication. Their rarity increases both their intrigue and value exponentially. Modern innovations lead to increased brilliance while still retaining that quintessential Asscher appearance.

Emerald Diamond Cut

The emerald cut diamond exudes a cool, sleek elegance with its dramatic rectilinear facets and cropped corners. First developed in the 1940s, the emerald cut showcases a diamond's clarity beautifully with its large, open table. The step-cut faceting creates captivating optical effects as light travels down the precision-cut columns. True emerald cut diamonds feature blocked corners with parallel facets on the pavilion. Because of the large table, inclusions are more obvious in emerald cuts, making higher clarity grades essential. The emerald cut's vintage glamour pairs elegantly with bold Art Deco styles as well as modern fashion. While less brilliant, the emerald cut oozes sophisticated

Polish, Symmetry and Cut Determine Diamond Value

While carat weight contributes significantly to a diamond’s price, the quality of the cut proves most vital. Symmetry describes how closely the facets align to their perfect geometric relationships. Even slightly uneven symmetry can negatively impact visual performance. As an indicator of quality craftsmanship, symmetry accounts for 15% of a diamond’s assessment. How smoothly and precisely the facet edges interconnect indicates the polish level with rankings of excellent to poor. Symmetry and polish influence light behavior within the diamond to create dazzling appeal.

 Diamond Clarity Enhanced by Quality Cuts

Inclusions naturally occur during diamond creation over a billion years ago [12]. Master diamond cutters know precisely how to cut around inclusions to minimize visibility. With expertise, diamonds with clarity levels as low as SI can secure enormous well-placed faceted stones of jaw dropping carat weights. Precision cutting can make lower clarity diamonds astonishingly clear to the naked eye, allowing more consumers entry to large carat diamond jewelry dreams.

Takeaway: A Closer Look at Diamond Cuts 

Diamond cuts showcase an artistic prowess equal to any visual medium. Understanding cut quality and shape allows more informed purchasing with better price negotiation leverage. Next time diamond jewelry captures your attention, take a closer look to appreciate the technical excellence behind diamond cutting’s allure.