Diamond Shape

Diamonds are cut and polished to bring out their beauty, fire and brilliance. Diamonds are cut into a variety of shapes that are designed to accentuate these features. Shape selection is one of the first decisions that diamond buyer makes. There is no one shape that is better than another as shape is very much about your personal preference.

At Guthries we apply very high standards to our diamonds were we select only diamonds that meet our strict shape standards.


Round	Princess	Emerald	Asscher	Cushion	Radiant	Oval	Marquise	Pear

Round Brilliant

The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular diamond. The brilliant cut has a timeless elegance and beauty that surpasses other shapes. When well cut a round brilliant shaped diamond has more fire and brilliance than any other shape.

At Guthries we recommend choosing a diamond with an Ideal, Excellent or Very Good cut grade. The modern round brilliant consists of 58 facets; 33 on the crown (the top half above the girdle) and 25 on the pavilion (the lower half below the girdle).

Princess Cut

The Princess cut is the second most popular shape for diamonds, next to a round brilliant. The face-up shape of the princess cut is square or rectangular and the profile or side-on shape is similar to that of an inverted pyramid with four bevelled sides

Princess cut diamonds also tend to have a slightly lower price-per-carat than round cut diamonds. This is because the four sided pyramid shape of the princess cut diamond is more economical to cut.

At Guthries we recommend choosing a princess diamond with an Ideal, Excellent or Very Good cut grade. Also with princess diamonds we recommend keeping the color grade higher (G or better) as princess diamonds can show poor color in the corners.

Emerald Cut

The emerald cut diamond has a large open table on top and long stair-step cut facets on it’s under side (pavilion). The emerald cut diamond has a different look to the brilliant due to its step facets.

Due to their large open facets it is possible to see inclusions in an emerald cut diamond more easily. Therefore at Guthries we recommend that you select VS2 clarity or better.

An important characteristic for emerald cut diamonds is their length to width ratio. Long narrow diamonds are considered less desirable. The classic emerald cut diamond has a length to width ratio of 1.30-1.50.

Asscher Cut

The asscher cut diamond is similar to the emerald cut, but in a square shape with larger step facets, a higher crown, and a smaller table. This combination often produces more brilliance than the emerald cut.

The asscher cut has large square open table on top and rectangular stair-step cut facets on it’s under side (pavilion). The asscher cut diamond has a different look to the brilliant due to its step facets.

Due to their large open facets it is possible to see inclusions in an asscher cut diamond more easily. Therefore at Guthries we recommend that you select VS2 clarity or better.

An important characteristic for asscher cut diamonds is their length to width ratio. Non-square diamonds are considered less desirable. The classic asscher cut diamond has a length to width ratio of 1.00-1.05.

Cushion Cut

This classic cut has been around for almost 200 years, and has stood the test of time. For those seeking a classic antique look the cushion cut is ideal.

The cushion cut diamond combines a square cut with rounded sides creating a shape that is very similar to a cushion. The modern methods of cutting and larger facets of a cushion cut give great brilliance. With the larger facets of a cushion cut it is recommended that you select a SI-1 clarity or better.

Cushion cut diamonds are available in square and rectangular shapes and personal preference should apply. If choosing a square cushion cut a length to width ratio of 1.00-1.05 or less is recommended. If choosing a rectangular cushion cut a length to width ratio of no greater than 1.00-1.30 is recommended.

Radiant Cut

A radiant cut diamond is a square diamond that has the full set of facets of a round brilliant cut. While the radiant is available in square in rectangular shapes it characterized by trimmed corners.

Radiant cut diamonds are available in square and rectangular shapes and personal preference should apply. If choosing a square radiant cut a length to width ratio of 1.00-1.05 or less is recommended. If choosing a rectangular radiant cut a length to width ratio of no greater than 1.00-1.40 is recommended.

Oval Cut

The oval diamond is a traditional shape that has a classic appeal. The oval diamond looks best on long figures and gives a larger look for its carat weight.

Oval shaped diamonds a similar to round brilliant cuts and give off similar brilliance. It is important that the depth of an oval shaped diamond is not to shallow. Therefore at Guthries we recommend that you select cut grade of Very Good.

An important characteristic for oval cut diamonds is their length to width ratio. Long narrow diamonds are considered less desirable. The classic oval cut diamond has a length to width ratio between 1.35-1.50.

Marquise

The marquise cut diamond is long and narrow with curved sides and pointed ends. The marquise cut gives a very large looking diamond for its carat weight. Due to its very long look the marquise cut looks best on long figures.

The marquise cut diamond’s shape is dictated by how wide it is in relation to its length. A length to width ratio of 1.50 is a short wide diamond while a ration of 2.5 is a very long narrow diamond. A length to width ratio of between 1.75 and 2.00 is recommended.

Pear Shape

The pear shape diamond is a variation of the brilliant cut, combining the round and marquise cuts. Pear shapes look wonderful in pendants and earrings.

With pear shape diamonds, the length to width ratio is a matter of individual taste because pear shape diamonds are used for such a wide variety of jewellery designs. For a pear shape diamond the length to width ratio between 1.50 - 1.75 is best.