Diamonds Come In Many ShapesAfter deciding how much you can afford to spend on an engagement ring, the next thing youll want to consider is the shape of the diamond. While the most common and popular shape is round, diamonds also come is shapes such as Princess, Heart, Pear, Oval, Asscher, Marquis, Radiant and Emerald cut, among others.. Find the unique ring that loudly whispers "I Love You!"
Before we discuss the different shapes, you will need to understand a little terminology for describing the facets, which are the little flat areas on the diamond. The first term is Step Cut. This means the facet is a narrow rectangular facet, while a Brilliant Cut facet can be shaped like a triangle, kite or diamond. For instance, a Round diamond will have Brilliant Cut facets, while and Emerald Cut diamond will have step cut facets. A Round diamond will be brilliant cut with 58 facets. For about 100 years diamond cutters have been using precise angles for the facets to create maximum brilliance in the diamonds. As a result, a round brilliant cut diamond will appear to be brighter, as well as appearing to be more lively, than some of the other shapes. An Emerald cut diamond is rectangular in shape with cut corners. Because the Emerald cut diamond is step cut, it will not have the same kind of brilliance as a brilliant cut diamond. For this reason, it's more important than ever to have a higher clarity grade, because any inclusions will be more easily seen. This is also the reason Emerald cut diamonds can cost a little more than some of the other shapes. An Asscher shaped diamond is the same as an Emerald cut diamond except that it is square instead of rectangular in shape. A Heart shaped diamond is just as the name implies. It is a brilliant cut stone shaped like a heart, and it makes a wonder sentimental symbol of your love. Pear shaped diamonds are brilliant cut stones with one rounded end and one end and one pointed end. They show very well with plenty of brilliance. One advantage to this shape is it tends to appear to be slightly larger than it actually is. For instance, a 1 Carat pear shaped diamond may appear to be at least 1 1/4 carats or more to the eye. Marquise diamonds are brilliant cut stones shaped kind of like a football. There is a point on either end and they are rounded in the middle. This shape diamond will also appear to be a bit larger than it actually is. One word of caution about marquise diamonds must be mentioned here. Although diamonds are one of the hardest materials known, they are also very brittle. If you are buying a marquis diamond you will want to be certain it is a well-proportioned stone. If the diamond is too narrow across the middle, the points on the ends will be much more vulnerable to damage, and being broken. Oval shaped diamonds are brilliant cut stones having two rounded ends, and they will be longer than they are wide. An oval diamond makes a good stone for an engagement ring, as all the other shapes do, and it also tends to look a bit larger than they actually are. Princes and Radiant shaped diamonds are pretty much the same since they are usually square shaped diamonds. The main difference is that a Princes cut diamond has pointed corners, while the Radiant cut diamond has cut corners like the Emerald cut diamond. The diamond shape you choose is strictly a matter of personal preference. They all look beautiful in engagement rings. The only caveat I can put on the shape you choose is that if your lady is extremely active, and into sports and outdoors activities, you might want to think reconsider purchasing a Marquise or Princes cut diamond because the pointed corners are more vulnerable to damage to the stone. The best plan would be to find out what shape she would prefer to have. Many women have very definite ideas about what shape their diamond should be.
Extremely Expensive
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