Diamond Shape Guide

Scoring a dazzling piece of new lab-grown diamond jewelry is undeniably exciting, especially when it arrives at your doorstep, instantly elevating every look. But before that moment, the joy of envisioning the perfect piece tailored to your style adds an extra layer of fun. Thankfully, our collection of lab-grown diamonds at ELGA caters to every taste, offering classic studs, eye-catching necklaces (available in blue and pink variations), a variety of metal options, and an array of settings to choose from.

When selecting a style, one of the most significant decisions is choosing a diamond shape that complements your personal style. Whether you lean towards classic and cool with a round brilliant shape or opt for modern-yet-trendy with a cushion cut, your choice of diamond shape adds a distinctive touch.

Consider this your ultimate diamond shape guide for discovering your soon-to-be-treasured lab-grown diamond for everyday wear. For over 30 years, The ELGA team has utilized leading technology to create lab-grown diamonds, all measured as having at least a "Excellent" cut, ensuring exceptional brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

In this guide, we'll delve into the history of diamond cutting, explore various types of diamond cuts and shapes, and elucidate how these factors impact light refraction, color intensity, and clarity.

Diamond cut vs diamond shape: What’s the difference?

Admittedly, the terminology around diamond cut and shape can be a bit confusing, especially since they are often used interchangeably. Let's attempt to clarify this. A diamond must undergo cutting to attain its shape. While people commonly use "diamond cut" to refer to the stone's shape (such as pear, round, emerald), it's important to note that "diamond cut" is a singular term. In simpler terms, the diamond's shape is the initial characteristic you notice, whereas the diamond's cut is what imparts the stone with its sparkle.

A diamond's cut is a crucial aspect of the 4Cs, with many considering it the most important. It contributes significantly to the overall grade of the diamond. The cut assesses the quality of each tiny surface known as a facet. In a high-quality cut, these facets are polished with mathematical precision to ensure they are in the optimal position for reflecting the maximum amount of light.

Every lab-grown diamond from The ELGA has been measured as at least VVS1 (Very Very Slightly Included). This designation indicates that the stone has only minor inclusions that are challenging to see at 10x magnification and cannot be seen by the naked eye.

How are diamond shapes created?

Diamond cutting is truly an art, and skilled diamond cutters invest years mastering the precise and exact science required to transform diamond rough into perfect, sparkly stones. While it's a highly technical process, let's provide a brief overview to cultivate a newfound appreciation for the beauty behind the cut and shape of diamonds, whether lab-grown or natural.

The process begins with a careful study of a piece of diamond rough, noting inclusion locations, and estimating the yield of the rough. The quality and size of the rough determine whether it will result in several stones, a collection of small diamonds, one large stone, or perhaps two stones. Once a plan is established, the stone is marked and prepared for cutting.

Subsequently, the diamond is lasered into the pre-marked shape and coned off. At ELGA lasering is exclusively used, but in cases where a laser is not employed, a special cutting wheel with diamond powder is used. Given that a diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth, only another diamond can cut it—an intriguing fact.

In the final stages, the diamond undergoes polishing until it achieves the desired shape. The facets are meticulously polished to refract the optimal amount of white light, enhancing the diamond's brilliance. This intricate process is a testament to the craftsmanship that goes into creating each diamond, whether it's grown in a lab or formed naturally.

How does diamond shape affect sparkle?

The diamond cut directly correlates to diamond sparkle because the cut determines the number of facets, which impacts how light travels through the stone. Facets are like tiny, polished mirrors that help the light reflect and bounce through the stone. While the cut is often considered the most important of the 4c’s, color and clarity—two of the 4c’s—play a significant role, too.

Popular diamond shapes

At The ELGA we meticulously cut our lab-grown diamonds into few of the industry's most popular shapes: round brilliant, cushion, heart, and princess cut. We understand that selecting the right cut can be a significant decision, which is why we provide dedicated guides to each of our stone types, offering comprehensive information in this diamond shape guide.

While there are numerous diamond shapes available in the market, our focus here is on Few specific shapes. Additionally, other popular options include pear, emerald, marquise, Asscher, and emerald cuts, each bringing its own unique charm and appeal to the world of diamond jewelry.

Round brilliant shaped diamonds

The round brilliant cut diamond stands out as one of the most widely embraced diamond shapes, cherished in both natural and lab-grown diamonds. Characterized by its unmistakable circular silhouette and cone-like shape, this cut boasts 58 perfectly placed facets, including the culet. It is the meticulous arrangement of these facets that enables light to interact in a manner unparalleled by any other cut. While alternative round cuts like the vintage old European and rose cuts exist, the majority of round diamonds prevalent today are round brilliants.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the round brilliant cut stone, we invite you to explore our full guide to this timeless cut. Additionally, you can peruse our collection of round brilliant diamonds, each crafted with precision and care at ELGA.

Princess shaped diamonds

In geometric terms, a princess cut diamond is classified as a square diamond due to its clean edges and crisp straight lines, forming a striking square shape that exudes a modern and edgy aesthetic. What sets the princess cut apart is its distinctive feature of having more than 50 chevron-shaped facets, contributing to an incredible scintillation and sparkle. The iconic chevron patterns crafted within the stone create the well-known 'x' pattern, visible when admiring a princess cut from above.

For an in-depth exploration of the princess cut stone, we invite you to delve into our comprehensive guide. Additionally, you can explore and choose from our collection of meticulously crafted princess diamonds at ELGA.

Heart shaped diamonds

Derived from the classic round brilliant cut, the heart cut diamond is distinguished not only by its iconic heart shape but also by its symmetry. It's important to note that clarity flaws are more noticeable in heart cut diamonds. This is attributed to the diamond's table, the upper flat part of the stone, being larger in size, providing a broader field of vision where flaws may be observed.

The ideal heart cut diamond typically adheres to a length-to-width ratio of 1:1 or 1:1.2. However, achieving this ideal ratio may not be a common occurrence in most excellent cuts. What is crucial, though, is achieving a cut with 59 facets, allowing the stone to exhibit maximum fire and brilliance, ensuring a captivating and stunning appearance.

Cushion shaped diamonds

Highly coveted for its ability to evoke both an antique and modern ambiance, the cushion cut is often regarded as one of the more contemporary diamond cuts. Cushion cuts can vary from nearly square to nearly round, offering a versatile range of shapes. For many, the classic cushion cut represents a harmonious fusion between a square and a round brilliant diamond, resulting in a stunning square cut with rounded corners and edges.

In the realm of cushion cuts, several common faceting patterns exist, including cushion brilliance (also known as a standard cut), old mine cut, and crushed ice. While these cuts are akin to cousins—related but not identical—they each impart a distinct impact on the sparkle of the stone. For a comprehensive understanding of these cut types, we encourage you to explore our cushion shape stone guide. Furthermore, you can peruse our collection of meticulously crafted cushion diamonds at ELGA.