What Are The Most Popular Diamond Cuts For Engagement Rings?
Choosing the perfect diamond engagement ring to mark the next chapter of your life is no easy task. From the type of metal to the ring size, the diamond weight to the clarity and everything in-between, there’s an endless list of factors that you’ll need to consider.
One aspect of diamond engagement rings that often gets overlooked is the diamond’s cut. However, this is arguably more important than a diamond’s weight – the cut is what gives a diamond its sparkle, one of the key buying points for any engagement ring.
In this blog, we highlight some of the most popular diamond cuts for engagement rings.
Round Cut
The round cut is often referred to as the “round brilliant cut” due to its ability to reflect light (i.e. brilliance) unlike most other diamond cuts. It’s by far the most common type of diamond cut for engagement rings, with a market share of 75%. This cut’s popularity is partly due to the amount of flexibility that it gives the owner with the other 3 C’s – clarity, colour and carat.
Princess Cut
First created in the 1980s, a princess cut diamond is any diamond that appears in a square shape with pointed corners. This is another type of diamond cut that’s in high demand due to its brilliance, however, it’s typically a lot more affordable than round brilliant cut diamonds.
Marquise Cut
Also known as the “eye-shaped cut”, marquise diamonds have the largest surface area of any diamond per carat. Although it might look like more of a modern design, this diamond cut originates from 18th century France, when King Louis XV commissioned his royal jewellers to cut a diamond that resembled the smile of his lover. Due to their long, thin shape, marquise cut diamonds also do a great job at accentuating slender fingers.
Oval Cut
With a similar cut to round brilliant diamonds, oval cut diamonds are another type of diamond cut that have incredible brilliance, making them ideal for engagement rings. Like marquise diamonds, this is another style that helps to elongate the finger.
Emerald Cut
Emerald cut diamonds were highly popular throughout the 1920s, making them a great option for Art Deco-inspired engagement rings. As they’re cut in a different way to brilliant diamonds, using rectangular step-cut facets, emerald cut diamonds don’t really reflect light in the same way. Saying that, the emerald cut is often considered as one of the most luxurious diamond cuts and is instantly recognisable by its unique style.
Radiant Cut
With a similar appearance to emerald cut diamonds, the main difference with radiant cut diamonds is that they have been designed to have the brilliance of round cut diamonds. This is a great choice for anyone that loves the shape of an emerald cut but doesn’t want to sacrifice brilliance, or for anyone looking for a truly unique style of engagement ring.
Pear Cut
Often referred to as the teardrop cut, this beautiful style takes inspiration from the round brilliant cut and marquise cut. It’s become extremely popular in recent years, sported by A-list celebrities such as Cardi B and Paris Hilton.
Heart Cut
Whilst you might expect the heart shape cut to be a relatively new creation, it’s actually been popular since the late 1400s. This unique style looks exactly how it sounds and makes a great choice for engagement rings, particularly if you plan to share a picture of it on Instagram.
Cushion Cut
Cushion cut diamonds can look almost identical to princess cut diamonds at first sight, however, the main difference is that they feature rounded corners. This type of cut has been around for centuries and has remained one of the most popular cuts throughout this time. Due to its timeless style, cushion cut diamonds are a great choice for classic and contemporary engagement rings alike.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of diamond cuts to choose from, each with their own advantages. Whether you’re looking for a classical style such as the round brilliant cut or a more contemporary style such as the heart cut, there’s bound to be something to suit your partner’s tastes.
What’s your favourite type of diamond cut? We’d love to hear! Why not let us know on Instagram or Facebook?