The Carat Post independently selects every recommendation. If you purchase through certain links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not determine our editorial conclusions.
Why trust this recommendation?
Every piece here is chosen by Karina, who has spent 11 years in fine watches and is studying gemology with GIA. Picks are judged from the retailer’s published specifications: stone, grading, setting, metal and price.
Prices were checked on the date shown in the article and can change. Specifications come from the retailer’s listing; nothing is estimated.
Read our editorial standards.
Shape is the first thing anyone notices about a diamond, long before its grades. It sets the mood of the whole ring, from classic to romantic to severe and modern, and it quietly changes the price too.
Ring prices shown are for the setting; the center diamond is sold separately.
Shop the story at Blue Nile
- Oval engagement rings, the most popular alternative to round.
- Compare every diamond shape side by side.
- French Pavé Ring in platinum, $2,150 setting.
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At a glance
- Most brilliant: round, the benchmark for sparkle.
- Best value: fancy shapes such as oval, cushion and pear often cost 15-30% less than a round.
- Why rounds cost more: cutting one can waste 50-60% of the rough crystal.
- Looks largest: elongated shapes such as oval, pear and marquise.
- Most vintage: emerald, Asscher and cushion.
What is the most popular diamond shape?
The round brilliant remains the classic choice and the most brilliant of all shapes, with 57 or 58 facets arranged to return as much light as possible. Its modern proportions trace back to Marcel Tolkowsky, whose 1919 study set out the angles that still guide cutters today. The oval has become the leading alternative, prized for looking larger than a round of the same weight.
The brilliant shapes: round, oval, pear, marquise and princess
Brilliant cuts use many triangular and kite-shaped facets to create maximum sparkle. The oval elongates the finger and hides color well. The pear, half round and half marquise, is romantic and a little unexpected. The marquise, long and pointed at both ends, is said to take its name from the court of Louis XV. The princess, a square brilliant introduced around 1980, is the modern square choice and costs less than a round.
The step cuts: emerald and Asscher
Step cuts use long, parallel facets like a staircase, trading sparkle for flashes of light and a clear, glassy depth often described as a hall of mirrors. The emerald cut was first developed for emeralds, to protect a brittle stone during cutting. The Asscher, its square cousin with cropped corners, was created by Joseph Asscher in Amsterdam in 1902 and became an Art Deco icon. Because step cuts show everything inside the stone, choose a higher clarity grade.
Shop the story
- Oval diamond pendants in 14k gold: the modern favourite.
- Emerald-cut diamond rings for Art Deco polish.
- Pear-shaped diamond earrings, romantic and unexpected.
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The soft shapes: cushion, radiant and heart
The cushion descends from the old mine cut of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a square with rounded corners cut for candlelight. The radiant blends the outline of an emerald cut with the sparkle of a brilliant. The heart is the most sentimental of all and needs a stone of at least half a carat for its shape to read clearly.
Grades tell you the quality. Shape tells you the personality.
How does diamond shape affect price?
Rounds are the most expensive because cutting one can waste half or more of the rough crystal. Fancy shapes keep more of the original stone, which is why they often cost 15 to 30 percent less at the same weight and grades. If you love a round but your budget does not, an oval gives similar brilliance and more visible size. You can compare every shape side by side in Blue Nile’s diamond search.
To compare round and oval stones in finished pieces, see our selection of the best fine jewelry from $5,000–$10,000, and for settings, grading and the rest of the decision, The Carat Post’s fine jewelry buying guides.
How to care for your diamond jewelry
Diamonds are hard, but they attract skin oil and lotion, so a ring worn every day dulls quickly. Once a week, soak it in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, brush gently behind the stone with a soft jewelry brush, rinse and dry with a jewelry polishing cloth. An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner is safe for most solid diamond and gold pieces, but skip it for emeralds, opals, pearls and any piece with a loose stone.
Store each piece on its own in a lined jewelry box so diamonds don’t scratch softer metals, keep a travel jewelry case for trips, and leave a ring dish by the sink so rings come off for dishes, the gym, gardening and bleach. Have a jeweler check the prongs once a year. If you buy from Blue Nile, its lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects for the life of the piece.
Frequently asked questions
Which diamond shape sparkles the most?
The round brilliant, followed closely by the oval, cushion and radiant.
Which diamond shape looks biggest?
Elongated shapes such as oval, pear and marquise, which spread their weight across a larger surface.
Why are round diamonds more expensive?
Cutting a round wastes more of the rough diamond, and demand for rounds is highest.
Considering a piece in this price range? Send Karina the link and your priorities for an independent second look.
Ask KarinaSources: Beyond Carat (StoneAlgo data) · GIA · Blue Nile
Why trust The Carat Post
We research every story from published sources and list them at the end so you can check our facts. The Carat Post is a Blue Nile affiliate partner and an Amazon Associate, so we may earn a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Sponsored stories are always clearly labeled, and brands do not review our editorial stories before they run. Prices were checked when this story was last updated and can change.
Shop the story
- Oval diamond pendants in 14k gold: the modern favourite.
- Emerald-cut diamond rings for Art Deco polish.
- Pear-shaped diamond earrings, romantic and unexpected.
As an Amazon Associate, The Carat Post earns from qualifying purchases.
