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There are many
different shapes for diamonds. The most popular being
the round brilliant, but the other shapes that have been
invented cover a wide range of shapes. Some jewelers
have custom cuts similar to these standards that produce
different effects such as the Round Brilliant Hearts and
Arrows cut. In this lesson, you will learn to identify
some of the popular shapes seen in stores today. The
illustrations below will help with identifying those shapes
with a little bit of history to go with it. |
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Round
brilliants are the most popular diamond shape sold
today selling 75% more than the others. It set the
standard for all other diamond shapes. A
standard Round Brilliant has 58 facet cuts all
around designed to achieve maximum brilliance and
fire. 57 if it has a pointed culet. |
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Invented in the 1960’s, oval cut diamonds are just
as beautiful as round brilliants due to its similar
facet cuts. The length of an oval cut diamond gives
the illusion of lengthening the hand. |
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The
Marquise cut or Navette cut is an elongated shaped
diamond with pointed ends. It was inspired by
the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and
commissioned by the Sun King, France's Louis XIV,
who wanted a diamond to match it. The added length
of a marquise diamond gives the illusion of
lengthening the hand. |
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The
Pear cut or Teardrop Cut combines the best parts of
the oval and marquise cuts. The added length of a
pear cut diamond gives the illusion of lengthening
the hand. It can be used beautifully as a pendant or
earrings. |
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The
Heart cut is the ultimate symbol for romance no
matter where you are. The shape of the heart cut is
basically a widen pear shape with a cleft at the
top. |
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The
Princess Cut is a square or rectangular cut with
many sparkling facets. Because of the design of the
cuts, princess cut diamonds are often deeper than
other cuts to maximize its brilliance. Many people
use princess cut diamonds for solitaire engagement
rings, sometimes with triangular accent stones.
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The
Emerald Cut is a rectangular shape with cut corners.
Due to the concentric broad, flat facets, this cut
is known as a step cut. Because of these broad
facets, an emerald cut diamond will easily show any
inclusions or inferior color in the diamond, so be
sure to choose a better quality diamond. |
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The
Radiant Cut is combines the best qualities of the
princess and emerald. The 70 facet cuts of this
square or rectangular cut combines the brilliance of
a princess with the shape of an emerald cut. Like
the princess cut, radiant cuts are often deeper than
other cuts. |
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The
Cushion Cut, also known as the Pillow Cut or
Candlelight Cut, is a square antique style cut that
has broad facets and rounded corners. The broad
facets are to increase its sparkle under
candlelight. Because of these broad facets, a
cushion cut diamond will easily show any inclusions
or inferior color in the diamond, so be sure to
choose a better quality diamond. |
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The
Baguette Cut is a small, rectangular cut often used
as accent stones. This cut is also known as a
step-cut due to its long step-like facets. If the
baguette's two shorter sides are different sizes, it
is called a "Tapered Baguette. |
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The
Trillion Cut is a triangular cut, sometimes with
bowed sides. First developed in Amsterdam
around the late 70’s, the exact cut can vary
depending on the cutter’s preference. Trillion cut
diamonds are often used as side stones rather than
the center stone making it difficult to find larger
sizes. |
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The
Asscher Cut combines the shape of a radiant cut with
the broad facets of an emerald cut designed in 1902
by the Asscher brothers of Amsterdam, Holland.
Because of these broad facets, an emerald cut
diamond will easily show any inclusions or inferior
color in the diamond, so be sure to choose a better
quality diamond. Asscher cut diamonds were
popular around the 1930 and have recently come back
into fashion. |
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The
Rose Cut diamond shape was first introduced in the
late 1500’s by a jeweler experimenting unique
geometric shapes and were popular up until the early
1900’s. Rose Cut diamonds are unlike any other
cut and is making a comeback in popularity.
Its anatomy is totally different from the usual
shapes you see. Just like the best part of a
muffin is its top, rose cut diamonds take the best
part of a diamond, the crown. Instead of the
usual table and facets found in a regular crown, a
rose cut crown is domed with facets shaped like rose
petals. |
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Any
shape that is not round is technically called a
fancy cut. At JewelryOction.com, we consider
any shape not listed here as fancy. These can
include shapes that combine other shapes, such as
our Half-Moon shape or Diamond shape. On rare
occasions, our diamond cutters will experiment way
outside the box and create such unique shapes like
the letter shapes in the illustration. |
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