Shapes of Diamonds

Diamonds are cut in many shapes. How the stone is cut is determined by the cutter - how will the stone look the best? Often this is due to the shape of the uncut diamond.

The brilliant cut (round) is classic. Other shapes are popular also, and seem to go in and out of fashion. You will see pear shape, emerald (rectangle) diamond, and heart. These are not the only cuts. At times, stones are set together to create another shape.

Here are a few of the shapes:



The size of the stone is by weight, using carats. You may hear someone say 'this stone is 3 carats'. That is the weight of the stone.

Other times you will hear the term 'total weight'. This is used for multiple stones, usually of a smaller size.

The shape of the stone also determines the depth. You can't always decide the size from seeing only one view.

Often, the only diamond owned is an engagement ring. This is a classic ring from Tiffany's. You can see how the stone is set to show the beauty. It's usually set in platinum for a better color match.