Choosing the best diamond shape ultimately comes down to personal preference, style, and the look you’re aiming for. While round diamonds are the most popular due to their classic charm and exceptional light performance, other shapes such as oval, cushion, and princess each bring their own distinctive qualities. These shapes offer a range of options to suit different tastes, ensuring that there’s a perfect diamond for every individual. Whether you prefer the timeless brilliance of a round cut or the unique appeal of an oval or cushion shape, the best choice is one that complements your style and preferences.

Diamonds with shapes that maximise surface area, such as marquise, oval, and pear, often appear larger than other shapes with the same carat weight. These elongated shapes create the illusion of a bigger size by stretching the diamond’s form. Additionally, selecting a shape with a larger table facet can further enhance the diamond’s visual size, making it appear more substantial on the finger without increasing its actual carat weight.

Round diamonds generally command the highest prices, primarily due to their popularity and the significant amount of rough diamond lost during the cutting process. Achieving the perfect cut to maximise brilliance requires exceptional precision, further adding to the cost. Other shapes, such as emerald and Asscher, can also be pricey, especially when their quality and rarity are considered. While round diamonds tend to be more expensive, the unique qualities of alternative shapes can sometimes justify their higher price tags as well.

Round brilliant diamonds are celebrated for their extraordinary sparkle, thanks to their precisely cut facets and symmetrical shape. This shape is designed to optimise light reflection, resulting in unparalleled brilliance, fire, and scintillation, making round diamonds the epitome of brilliance in the diamond world.

The round brilliant diamond remains the most sought-after shape, prized for its enduring elegance and exceptional brilliance. Its timeless appeal and versatility make it the go-to choice for engagement rings and a wide range of fine jewellery. However, other shapes such as princess, oval, and cushion also hold their own, each offering distinct visual characteristics that cater to individual tastes and styles.

While it is possible to change the shape of a diamond, the process requires re-cutting the stone, which can lead to a loss of carat weight and potentially affect its value. This delicate task demands expert craftsmanship to ensure the new shape not only enhances the diamond’s appearance but also preserves its brilliance and structural integrity. Often, diamonds are re-cut to improve their aesthetic appeal or to repair any existing damage.

The bow tie effect refers to a dark shadow that can appear across the centre of elongated diamond shapes, such as oval, marquise, and pear cuts. This occurs when light fails to reflect optimally within the diamond, often due to an excessively shallow or deep pavilion, resulting in a shadow resembling a bow tie. The visibility of this effect is largely influenced by the diamond’s cut quality and proportions. Diamonds with high-quality cuts are designed to minimise this shadow, ensuring a more vibrant and visually appealing appearance.