Posted on April 12 2016
Mark: Hi it’s Mark from Top Local Lead Generation and we’re here with Sheetal Gupta of Maharani Jewels in Vancouver and we’re talking about diamonds. How’re you doing today Sheetal?
Sheetal: I’m doing really well, thank you so much Mark
Mark: So we’re going to talk about various shapes of diamonds, I thought every diamond was always round, what other shapes are there?
Sheetal: Yeah so Mark, diamonds can actually be cut in virtually any shape you can imagine. So if you can think of any shape, whether it’s oval, whether it’s square, whether it’s an emerald shape, whether it’s heart shaped, they can be cut in virtually any shape. So you can imagine it and diamonds can certainly be cut, however different shapes do look differently in terms of their sparkle and brilliance. So there are certain diamonds that I would certainly say are more beautiful in terms of their look versus others.
Mark: So what do these shapes look like and what are the differences?
Sheetal: Yeah, so the most traditional shape is the round shape. I’m going to take you over so you can have a look visually as to what these look like. So Mark, we’ll start over here with the round brilliant cut. The round brilliant cut diamond is the most classic shape. It is known to be the most popular because it’s been around for over a hundred years, so cutters have really maximized and mastered the way this cut sparkles and shines. So the round diamond has 58 facets, that means it’s got 58 cuts. It’s again the most traditional, also it happens to be the most valued. The price per carat of the round diamond is the highest.
The next in popularity would be the princess cut which is a square cut diamond. It has very sharp edges, it is known to be popular for the modern woman, very very clean, sharp edges, very crisp. In terms of value I would say that it’s approximately 20 to 30% lower in value than a round. I’ll talk a little bit later as to why there is a price difference between diamonds that are cut round versus other shapes. Any other shape other than a round is known as a fancy shape.
The next would be a cushion cut. A cushion cut is a squarish round shape. It was quite popular in the late nineteen hundreds and the early 20th century and it’s quite unique. I find that a little bit of a vintage sort of style, extremely popular these days. I’ve been designing a lot of engagement rings with a cushion cut diamond.
The next would be an emerald cut. The emerald cut is really known for it’s beauty and precision. It doesn’t have that same sparkle though as a round diamond has or a cushion does.
Asher cut is the same as an emerald cut except that it’s square in shape whereas the emerald cut was rectangular. Again, it’s known as a step cut as you can see, it’s quite different in the way the diamond has been cut vs the round.
Then you’ve got a shape known as the Marquise. It’s got pointy edges, it’s known as a boat shaped diamond. Not as popular as it used to be, but what is unique about it is that due to it’s long shape you can really maximize surface area and it really elongates the finger.
Next would be the pear shape, it’s like a teardrop shaped diamond. Again very very popular, traditional, it’s usually designed as a very traditional, classic sort of engagement ring. Also it looks really good if you accent the pear shape diamond with some side diamonds. But also, not as popular today as it used to be. But if you are looking for something a little a little bit different, the pear shaped is definitely quite unique.
The last, but not least, the most romantic shape of all is the heart shaped diamond. If you’re really looking for something to truly say I love you, the heart shape is definitely the most popular in that regard.
But I would say that going back to the original, that the round brilliant cut is the most sparkly. It is known as the round brilliant cut because it is the most brilliant of all diamonds. So I would definitely say that in all the shapes, the round brilliant cut, the princess cut and the cushion cut would probably be the most popular today.
Mark: So you mentioned that they were valued differently, why is that?
Sheetal: So when diamonds come out of the earth, they come out in the form diamond rough.The shape of this diamond rough tends to be elongated. So think about the cutting process. When a cutter is trying to cut diamonds from this rough they want to be able to maximize the maximum amount to diamonds that they are able to retrieve from this diamond rough and when they are able to cut the longer shapes like the emerald cuts or the princess cuts, they’re able to maximize surface area. So there’s less diamond wastage as compared to a round cut. When you’re trying to get the diamond perfectly symmetrical and round there’s a little bit more wastage. The other thing is popularity. The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular so the price per carat remains the strongest over the past 100 years I would say.
Mark: So which one sparkles the most?
Sheetal: Yeah,I would definitely say that the round brilliant cut has the most sparkle. It gets a little bit confusing when we’re dealing with diamonds that are not round. So for example, let’s take the cushion cut, which is the roundish, the squarish round diamond. It can be cut longer, it can be cut more square, and the shape makes a big difference in terms of sparkle. The more squarish the cushion cut is, the more we are able to cut it like a round diamond. So a more squarish cushion cut diamond is known as a cushion brilliant cut which has a little bit more sparkle than the more longer shape cushions.
So it’s a little bit more complex to try to understand sparkle when it comes to fancy shaped diamonds but when you’re working with a gemologist or an expert we are really able to educate you on some of these differences. So if you are looking for something that has that bling, has that brilliance, we are able to really guide you on which shape would really be the most sparkly in that regard.
Mark: So if you are looking for a new diamond ring or you are getting engaged, give Sheetal a call. You can see her in person in Vancouver, you have to book ahead to make an appointment - 604-727-0149 or check out her website maharanijewels.com
Thanks Sheetal
Sheetal: Thank you so much Mark
Visit www.maharanijewels.com for diamond education and information on jewelry Vancouver.
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