Inspiration

Glam Rock

By The Watches of Switzerland Group 4 Minute Read

Do you know your pear from your princess? We leave no stone unturned in our guide to the most popular diamond cuts for an engagement ring.

Throughout history, humans have been cutting precious stones to their preferred size and shape, then using them to decorate everything from spears to amulets. The act of shaping a gemstone and honing it to perfection is a hugely prized skill that takes many years to master. And like any complicated technique, it’s accompanied by a wealth of jargon, such as ‘faceting’ (where a transparent stone is shaped into multiple flat surfaces to increase its brilliance) and ‘cabochon’ (a smoother, rounder cut, usually applied to opaque gems).

For this guide to diamond shapes, we’ve tried to keep things as simple as possible. The quality of a diamond’s cut is crucial: it’s one of the four ‘C’s that determine its value (the others being colour, clarity and carat). But we must also remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when it comes to the shape of the stones that adorn our jewellery, it’s all down to personal preference. Rest assured, we choose only the finest cuts to embellish our designs.

To illustrate some of our favourite cuts, we’ve hand-picked a selection of beautiful engagement rings – including examples from the Goldsmiths Brightest Diamond collection, featuring our exclusive 88-facet pattern which adds additional facets to the bottom of the diamond to produce an even more irresistible sparkle.

Brilliant

Many consider this to be the ideal shape to maximise the brilliance and ‘fire’ of the gemstone, as the cut naturally follows the rough diamond crystal. The light is reflected through the ‘cone’ shape of the diamond setting, resulting in an eye-catching radiance. It is also the cut most commonly used in jewellery – a truly timeless classic.

Although the brilliant-cut diamond for many years has been accepted as the ideal round, we believe that by taking the top section of the brilliant-cut diamond, and adding more facets into the bottom of this, increases the way in which light interacts within the diamond, creating more sparkle. Therefore, the majority of our engagement ring range that features a central round diamond is part of our Goldsmiths Brightest Diamond range as we believe that this allows our customers to choose an exceptional diamond that is unique to us.

Goldsmiths

18ct Yellow Gold 0.50ct Goldsmiths Brightest Diamond Ring

£3,000.00

Goldsmiths

Platinum 0.95 Carat Goldsmiths Brightest Diamond Ring

£6,000.00

Pear

The pear is sometimes referred to as the teardrop – and perfect symmetry is required in its cutting to achieve that curvaceous shape. The elongation of the stone is very flattering on the finger while the rounded end echoes the brilliant cut in its light-reflecting advantages.

Goldsmiths

18ct White Gold 0.60cttw Diamond Pear Cut Double Halo Ring

£2,500.00

Goldsmiths

Platinum 0.60ct Diamond Pear Cut Halo Engagement Ring

£3,250.00

Princess

Also known as a square cut, the princess-cut diamond resembles an inverted pyramid in shape, with the point in the setting and a flat square on the top. The clean lines result in a contemporary aesthetic, so it’s the perfect choice for a wearer who likes a sleek and polished look. A princess-cut ring maintains a high level of brilliance, with the ‘window’ of the square giving an extensive depth to the stone, showing off the facets to the highest extent.

Goldsmiths

18ct White Gold Princess Cut 0.65 Carat 88 Facet Diamond Ring

£3,250.00

Oval

As well as creating the illusion of a slimmer finger, the oval cut optimises carat weight, as the stone appears bigger than similar weights cut into other shapes. This cut is also very versatile, suiting a solitaire setting or a halo of surrounding stones.

Goldsmiths

18ct White Gold 0.75cttw Diamond Double Row Oval Halo Ring

£3,000.00

Whatever shape you prefer, our experts are ready to help you find the perfect piece. To see all of these rings, as well as further examples of our gemologist’s exemplary work, head to Goldsmiths online or visit one of our showrooms.

Goldsmiths is a trading name of Watches of Switzerland Company Limited. Registered Office: Aurum House, 2 Elland Road, Braunstone, Leicester, LE3 1TT, Registered in England and Wales, Company number 00146087. Registered VAT Number 834 8634 04. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited acts as a broker and not a lender and offers finance from Secured Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance and PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH trading as PayPal Credit. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Finance Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 308710. Credit provided is subject to age and status, minimum spend applies. Terms and Conditions apply. UK residents only. We may receive a commission if your application is successful, and the amount may vary depending on the product chosen and the amount of credit taken out. Not all products are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and FOS protection will not be extended to unregulated agreements. Please note the Consumer Credit Act states that should your purchase / loan amount cost more than £30,000 you will not be covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

*Next day delivery available on most items. See product pages for more information.

Glam Rock

Brilliant

Pear

Princess

Oval

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