Understanding the Different Cuts of Diamonds

Copyright © 2005 Amanti Leddar

A Guide To Diamonds, Inc.

http://rjmdiamonds.com

Diamonds are hot favorites all over the world not only

because of their dazzling beauty, but also because they are

so versatile; they look good on anyone and match everything.

Diamonds come in many styles and varieties, called cuts. The

value of a diamond in terms of price and popularity depends

on the various cuts. The more popular cuts are more

expensive than the less popular cuts. This is because the

cut of the diamond enhances its beauty. So, you can see two

diamonds of equal weight but cut differently with a price

difference of hundreds of dollars.

The most popular cut in diamonds is the round cut. When

diamonds are cut to look like circles they sparkle brightly.

A round brilliant cut is one of the most expensive cuts of

diamond. Round cut diamonds are very popular on engagement

rings because they look beautiful as part of a multi-stone

ring or as a solitaire. The round cut diamond looks nice on

practically any hand.

The princess cut is of marginal popularity. It looks good as

a solitaire or in a three-stone setting with smaller

princess cut diamonds on either side of a large diamond. A

princess cut looks like a square and can be faceted to

sparkle. Rings made with princess cut diamonds tend to make

fingers look shorter and stubbier, so they are not the right

choice for those with already short fingers. Those with long

fingers can wear a princess cut without any hesitation

whatsoever.

One of the least expensive of cuts for diamonds is the

emerald cut. It costs a lot less than a round brilliant

diamond. Emerald cut looks like a rectangle, and is cut to

appear layered. It gets its name because this is the way

emeralds have always been cut. The emerald, being softer

than the diamond, often got fractured in the process of

cutting. Then the experts discovered that the emerald could

be cut in a special way to preserve its integrity. This gave

emeralds more life, and it became fashionable to wear

emeralds. Soon it was discovered that diamonds could also be

cut in this fashion, and the cut was called the emrald cut.

Diamonds with a marquis cut look like thin ovals with

pointed ends. This cut makes the fingers look longer and

adds elegance to any hand. This cut is already more popular

than the emerald cut. It is usually worn as a solitaire or

as the center of a multi-stone ring. However, if all the

stones are not marquis cut, a multi-stone ring with

something else as the center looks odd with marquis side

stones.

There are other styles of diamonds also such as baguette and

pave, which are mainly used for side stones to provide

accents. Once you know what type of cut you like, and what

enhances the beauty of your hand, you can get a ring set

with your favorite cut diamonds.