Everything You Need to Know About Round Cut Diamonds

Round cut diamonds have long been the preferred choice for engagement rings and other types of fine jewelry. According to The Diamond Pro, they’re also the most popular cut, and for good reason. There’s something timeless about their perfect symmetry and the way they catch light with every turn. They’re not a trend. They’re the gold standard.

What Is a Round Cut Diamond?

The modern round brilliant diamond is a masterpiece of geometry and light. With 58 facets including the culet (or 57 without) it’s cut to capture and reflect as much light as possible. Every angle, every plane, is carefully calculated to bring out maximum sparkle.

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The Science Behind the Sparkle

• Brilliance: The return of white light through the top of the stone.
• Fire: The flash of rainbow color that dances across the facets.
• Scintillation: The sparkle and pattern of light and dark areas when the diamond moves.

At Luxumoon, every round cut diamond is pre-selected for brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

Everything You Need to Know About Princess Cut Diamonds

There’s a refined, romantic appeal to a princess cut diamond. Its sharp angles and clean lines create a striking sparkle that feels both modern and deeply meaningful. With its bold geometry and brilliant shimmer, the princess cut offers a fresh alternative to traditional shapes.

What Is a Princess Cut Diamond?

A princess cut diamond is a square or slightly rectangular stone with pointed corners and serious sparkle. Unlike step-cut shapes such as emerald or asscher, the princess cut uses a brilliant faceting style (typically featuring 57 to 58 facets) that reflects light in dazzling flashes of fire.

Why Choose a Princess Cut?

• Ultra Sparkle: The sparkle intensity is comparable to a round cut.
• Superior Value: Princess cuts offer better value because the square shape retains more of the original rough diamond during cutting.
• Versatility: They look stunning in solitaires, halos, and three-stone settings.

Everything You Need to Know About Cushion Cut Diamonds

Each cushion cut diamond looks different, yet all of them offer dazzling brilliance and beauty. This brilliant cut diamond boasts high finger coverage and has a slimming effect on the hand. Cushion cut diamonds are named for their unique shape. Their rounded square shape gives them a “pillowy” look, like a cushion.

The OG Brilliant Cut

The precursor to the cushion cut was the brilliant “miner cut,” created as early as the 1700s. Today’s cushion cut is very similar but upgraded to burst with even more brilliance. Modern cushion cut diamonds have lower crowns, shallower pavilions, and increased table surface area.

How to choose a cushion cut

Since cushion cut diamonds show color better than many other shapes, color grade is an important factor. Choose a color grade of H or better to minimize the amount of gray or yellow tint showing through. For an eye clean cushion cut, go for clarity grade of SI1 or better.

Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds

With its vintage charm and romantic elegance, the elongated cushion cut diamond has become a sought-after choice for those seeking a balance between classic beauty and modern sophistication.

What makes it unique?

What sets the elongated cushion cut apart are its elongated proportions, where the length-to-width ratio is greater than that of a standard cushion cut. This elongation gives the diamond a graceful and elegant silhouette.

Why Choose Elongated?

• Finger Coverage: The elongated shape creates excellent finger coverage.
• Visual Impact: It often appears larger than a square cushion of the same carat weight.
• Elegance: It combines the soft corners of a cushion with the sleekness of an oval.

Everything You Need to Know About Radiant Cut Diamonds

The radiant cut is the "disco ball" of diamonds. It has 70 facets, offering glamour and immense sparkle. It is a hybrid shape combining the faceted style of a round brilliant cut and the step cut of emerald-shaped stones. The beveled corners make the radiant less likely to chip.

Bogus Bowties

Radiant ratios tend to vary, but if you're looking for a rectangular radiant rock, watch out for bowties. Across the center of a poorly cut diamond, you'll see two dark triangles. A well-cut radiant will shine bright all the way through.

Everything You Need to Know About Emerald Cut Diamonds

There’s something truly exquisite about emerald cut diamonds. Their clean lines and elongated silhouette create a sense of balance and elegance. Instead of intense sparkle, they have a soft, mirrored glow known as the "hall of mirrors" effect.

Choosing an Emerald Cut

Clarity is Key: The large, open table of an emerald cut makes inclusions more visible. We recommend VS2 clarity or higher.

Color Matters: Step cuts show color more easily than brilliant cuts. A color grade of G or higher is recommended for a crisp white look.

Everything You Need to Know About Oval Cut Diamonds

Oval cut diamonds are admired for their smooth elongated shape, which makes them appear larger than other cuts of the same carat size. They share the same 58-facet structure as round brilliants, delivering maximum sparkle while offering a distinct, graceful outline.

Buying Tips

Bow-Tie Effect: A shadow across the center can appear in ovals. Look for a stone with excellent cut quality to minimize this.

Ratio: A classic oval ratio usually falls between 1.35 and 1.50.

Everything You Need to Know About Marquise Cut Diamonds

A Marquise cut diamond is defined by its narrow, elongated shape with tapered ends. This cut displays 58 facets, with a pattern similar to that of a round brilliant cut diamond. The Marquise cut is a classic style with noble roots that is making a comeback in popularity.

Marquise cut diamonds appear larger than other cuts of the same carat weight. This is because they are more shallow and elongated, so they show more of their carat weight face-up.

Everything You Need to Know About Pear Cut Diamonds

Sometimes called a teardrop diamond, the pear cut has a unique shape that dates back to the 15th Century. It looks like a brilliant round on one end and a marquise on the other. Ideally, a pear cut has a length-to-width ratio between 1.45 and 1.70.

Protection: At Luxumoon, we recommend setting prongs to cover the delicate point of the pear cut stone to help protect it from damage and breakage.

Everything You Need to Know About Asscher Cut Diamonds

The Asscher’s bold lines and patterns have mesmerized people for over 120 years. The cut looks like something out of Great Gatsby-era America, with strong Art Deco vibes. Its large, clean facets give you a window into the center of your stone.

The facets of Asscher cut diamonds are laid out in a square, step-cut pattern. This means they go down in “steps” instead of smooth, sloping angles. This makes the Asscher less brilliant than other cuts - but gives you a clean look into its center from all angles.

Considerations

• Size: Asschers often look smaller than other shapes of the same carat weight due to their depth.
• Clarity: High clarity is essential as the open facets show inclusions easily.