Diamond Guides
About Round Diamonds
The circular shape of the round diamond is said to signify love without end. It is the most popular diamond shape, determine if it is right for your engagement ring.
By far the most popular diamond shape, round diamonds are more than 50 percent of all diamonds sold. The reason for their popularity is due to their brilliant
The round shape
Round diamond lovers are typically described as traditional romantics. The classically conservative but elegant round diamond is vibrant and unpretentious.
Due to many of the reasons already stated, the round brilliant diamond continues to be the most popular diamond shape in the United States. Followed by oval diamonds, pear diamonds, emerald cut diamonds, and cushion cut diamonds.
That’s why we are here to guide you through every step - from understanding what carat, color, cut and clarity mean, to designing the perfect ring.
Pavilion depth is measured from the bottom of the girdle to the culet. The pavilion depth that's too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape from the side or bottom of the stone. Light will be directed through the crown of a well-cut diamond.
Knowing how light behaves inside a diamond helps us understand diamond cuts. There are three main ways to classify diamond sparkle.
Dispersion, or fire, separates colored light into its full spectrum. While white light enters and exits through the table, flashes of color are visible when the light is emitted from the center. This is done through the crown.
Brilliance. The amount of white light emitted and reflected out of a diamond determines its brilliance. Diamonds absorb natural light, then split it into the full spectrum of colors thanks to their wide top table. As the light bounces back and reflects within the diamond, it is projected upwards and leaves the table as pure white light.
Scintillation. A diamond's scintillation refers to how light bounces off its facets when moved, creating a glistening and twinkling effect. Light will emanate from diamonds when they are well cut, creating the mesmerizing sparkle we all love.
An Excellent diamond cut will enhance the appearance of other qualities of the stone, like the color and clarity grade. It can even make a diamond appear larger. When a diamond is cut to an Excellent (GIA) or Ideal (IGI) grade, the polish and proportions of the stone will produce brilliance, fire and scintillation that work together in harmony, creating a charmingly sparkly diamond.
The only diamond shape to receive a ‘cut grade’ are round brilliant cut diamonds. However, you should ensure any other diamond shape has Excellent symmetry and polish grade, or at least Very Good. ‘Brilliant cut’ diamonds are designed to exude the most sparkle. Step cuts feature larger, parallel facets that celebrate the clarity of the stone with more subtle flashes of light
Learn about the cut and what to look for when choosing a step cut diamond.
Round diamonds, or round brilliant can be modified in shape. Learn more.
The round brilliant diamond is the most sparkly when graded triple Excellent (GIA) or Ideal (IGI). The diamond will have the optimal cut, symmetry, and polish. Multiple lines of symmetry and 58 facets work together to reflect light within and out of the diamond, making the round brilliant the sparkliest diamond shape. Typically, round brilliant diamonds are the most expensive diamond cuts, due to three factors; their unmatched brilliance, popularity, and the amount of diamond waste generated during cutting Round brilliants are the most popular shapes.
Due to their higher sparkle, brilliant cut diamonds can appear larger than step cut diamonds. The spread of the table makes some brilliant cut shapes appear larger than others; marquise, oval, and pear diamonds appear larger than other diamond shapes of the same carat weight.
It is more difficult to find some diamond shapes than others. The demand for asscher diamonds and radiant diamonds is much lower than for other diamond shapes, making them rarer than most diamond cuts. They are followed closely by marquise and hearts.
