Diamond Shapes

Diamonds are Available in Many Different Shapes

Diamonds are loved the world over for their fiery brilliance. For centuries they have been symbols of love and prosperity. They come in many shapes and sizes and are very costly to buy. Despite the high price they come with, people still vie to own them.

One of the things that differentiate one diamond from another is the cut of the stone. Diamonds are cut into different shapes from raw crystals. Facets are cut into the top and they are then polished, so that their brilliance can be seen. There are many cuts of diamonds, some more expensive than others. The art of cutting them has graduated from people with simple tools to state of the art techniques.

 As time went on, unique cuts began to emerge. Some of them even patented. Two such diamonds are the Asscher and the Princess diamonds. They both have a square cut, but their facets are completely different.

A diamond is cut from its basic form

How the diamond will be cut depends on the crystal formation that they come from.  A round brilliant diamond comes from a formation that has an octahedron shape. Marquis and oval diamonds are derived from formations that have a macle shape. A common misconception is that diamonds don't chip or become scratched. This is not the case; so many jewelers take that into consideration. Square cut diamonds can have rounded edges that help protect the stones from chipping. The Princess cut diamond has pointed corners, so if you are fortunate enough to own one, be very careful with it.

Sparkling facets

The number of facets can also influence the price of the diamonds. The facets allow the brilliance of the diamond to shine through. Light reflects off of them, giving the diamond their sparkling appearance. There are 58 facets in the round cut brilliant stone. If the culet or bottom facet is left out, it will have 57 facets. A well-cut diamond beautifully directs rays of white light to the diamond's facets, the small planes on the surface of the stone. The reflected light emanating from the facets defines a stone's fire and brilliance. Fire is the intensity of the rainbow of colors cast outward in a prism-like effect, while brilliance indicates the amount of sparkle generated. Cut should not be confused with the shape of a diamond.

Many shapes of diamonds to choose from

 There are other shapes of diamond, such as the emerald cut. If it is cut from a clear stone, it makes an exceptional polished gem. Much like its name suggests, the stone is cut in a rectangular shape and its facets are long and flat. There is also the pear or tear shaped diamond. There are many other shapes of diamonds, many of them are custom. You can see them in the shapes of butterflies, or hearts or just about anything you can imagine. Whatever the shape, everybody wants one.