A major decision that you will be faced with in selecting the right diamond for that special someone is the question of shape, or cut. There are many, many different and unique shapes available in today’s market. Determining the right one to suit your expectations can be very difficult.

In general, choosing which shape you want is really a question of personal preference. What shape visually appeals to you the most? However, every shape has different optical characteristics, so if you are seeking a specific property, such as brightness or fire, some diamond shapes may fit your criteria better than others. The traditional shapes are:

Round

Traditional Round Diamonds

The traditional round diamond has 57/58 facets, 57 without a Culet and 58 with a Culet. This is the traditional pattern that has been cut for about a hundred years. As time has passed, the precision with which the pattern is cut is about the only thing that has changed. The pattern is still the same.

When looking to purchase a traditional round, the goal is really to get a diamond that is balanced. Seeking optimal light performance in a traditionally cut stone is not a good approach and is going to leave you frustrated. What you want to be looking for is a good value for the weight, color, clarity, and cut.

You can definitely find a traditional diamond that will have a beautiful appearance. Many of the “old timers” of the industry still love what is known as the 60/60 diamond, meaning that the diamond has a 60% Depth and a 60% Table. These stones tend to be bright and glittery.

What you want to avoid when shopping for a traditional diamond is anything excessive. A diamond that is too deep or too shallow is going to lose something somewhere else. It is common for couples seeking traditional diamonds to find stones that are very shallow in an effort to obtain a “spready” stone, or one that looks bigger than its weight. This is ok, so long as the customer understands that the shallow depth will cause the diamond to sacrifice brilliance.

Once again, the goal with a traditional round diamond is to get a stone that has a balanced and attractive look that is also a good value for the money. This will ensure great results when setting in a classic engagement ring setting.

AGS Ideal/GIA Excellent Cut Diamonds

Ideal cut and excellent cut diamonds are stones that perform up to the cut criteria set out by the two world leaders in diamond grading and gemology.

These are diamonds that are going to look beautiful to the naked eye. You can feel confident when you purchase an Ideal or Excellent cut stone, because you will not get a diamond that looks poor in any way. These stones will all exhibit brightness, fire, sparkle, and scintillation.

Under critical analysis, there are going to be stones that are better than others. Also, to the trained observer, there are going to be some diamonds in this level of cut that look better 尖沙咀鑽石 than other similar diamonds.

The key to remember if you are purchasing a diamond in this range is that you are going to get a beautiful stone.

Ideal Hearts & Arrows Diamonds

True Ideal Hearts & Arrows Diamonds (H & A) are the pinnacle of cutting for a 57 facet pattern. They combine the exacting proportions that produce a top of the line ideal cut with the perfect optical symmetry of Hearts & Arrows.

The term Hearts & Arrows is not a fully defined term, so there is a range of diamonds that attain H & A status, as well as differences as to how professionals in the industry define the term.