3 Tips to Remember When Choosing a Diamond Shape

Round diamonds have long been the most popular choice of shape for engagement rings, with over 50% of Ritani customers opting for these types of center stones. Their symmetrical cut and exquisite brilliance complement almost any engagement ring setting, with a timeless appeal that will be enjoyed for decades of wear. That said, more and more people are considering distinctive fancy cut shapes like cushion and emerald diamonds. Here are a few things to consider in order to make the right choice for you and your engagement ring.

Fancy Diamond Cuts May Be More Affordable

There are a number of reasons why choosing a fancy diamond shape like an oval or emerald cut might be a more affordable option than the popular round cut. Less of the diamond rough is likely to be wasted if cut into a fancy shape, allowing for a larger carat weight in the finished stone. Fancy cuts like the heart-shaped diamond and pear shape can be selected as ways to remove significant inclusions from the original rough diamond. In this way, less of the valuable rough can be sacrificed, while still producing a beautiful high-quality diamond.

Certain Cuts Can Appear Larger In A Ring

When set in an engagement ring, a diamond is positioned with its table facing upward. For certain shapes, like the asscher and emerald, this means they may not look as large as other diamonds with the same carat weight. These shapes are cut with notable depth, due to the way the pavilion is angled. A lot of their weight, therefore, comes from an area of the diamond that won’t be the most visible in a ring. If you’re trying to maximize size relating to carat weight, we recommend considering princess and marquise-cut diamonds, in particular.

Personal Taste Is King

While it’s smart to factor in the various affordability tradeoffs between the different diamond shapes, the most important element is choosing a shape that you like. This might seem obvious, but don’t disregard a cut you truly adore simply because you could save a couple of hundred dollars with another shape of the same size.

There are other choices you can make with an engagement ring that will save money – from opting for white gold over platinum, to choosing a diamond with a little more color in it. If you’re a fan of yellow or rose gold settings, the extra color might not even be visible to the naked eye. If you’ve fallen head over heels for the oval cut, don’t settle for anything less.