- Diamond shape refers to its physical form, like round, oval, or princess.
- Round shape is the most popular due to its unmatched sparkle.
- Fancy shapes like oval, pear, and emerald offer unique styles and value.
- Shape impacts a diamond’s brilliance, size appearance, and price.
- Rare Carat helps you compare shapes to find the best fit for your style and budget.
If you've started to look at diamonds, you're already aware that there is a wide variety of cuts and shapes. The next natural step in answering the question, "Which diamond shape to buy?" is to narrow down which cut is right for you. Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll be ready to continue your diamond buying journey and start thinking about things like carat size and clarity.
Here at Rare Carat, we've seen millions of searches and crunched the numbers on which diamond shapes are most in-demand:
Here’s our quick need-to-know guide on each diamond cut in order of popularity with a rough estimate for the cost of an excellent cut one carat, H color, VS1 clarity diamond by shape.
Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
The Round Brilliant Cut is the most popular cut by far made popular by its classic and timeless design. If budget is a major consideration, you can usually get the same size (carat weight) stone in other cuts for less money. Especially if you're looking for a natural diamond.
- 1ct. Natural Round H VS1 Excellent Cut starting at: $2,110
- 1ct. Lab Grown Round H VS1 Excellent Cut starting at: $390
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Read more about round brilliant shaped cuts here
Cushion Cut Diamonds
Cushion cuts are gaining in popularity so much so that Meghan Markle and Priyanka Chopra both got cushion diamonds on their rings. Cushion cut diamonds look similar to round cuts from far away but close up the distinctive slightly squared shape becomes apparent. This is a great cut for those who do not want a fully symmetrical diamond.
- 1ct. Natural Cushion H VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $1,535
- 1ct. Lab Grown Cushion H VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $450
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Read more about cushion shaped cuts here
Oval Cut Diamonds
The oval cut is another great choice in the category of rounded diamonds and adds a bit more length to the diamond to give it a slimmer and sleeker look. This design can make make a finger look longer and more elegant.
- 1ct. Natural Oval F VVS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $4,035
- 1ct. Lab Grown Oval F VVS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $535
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Read more about oval shaped cuts here
Princess Cut Diamonds
With the princess cut diamond we move fully out of the category of round cut diamonds into a more angular design. These cuts come with a different set of factors to watch out for like symmetry and ‘chevrons’.
- 1ct. Natural Princess F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $1,930
- 1ct. Lab Grown Princess F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $490
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Read more about princess shaped cuts here
Emerald Cut Diamonds
Emerald cuts have a distinctive rectangular design that can be set classically with the longer side of the diamond running up and down the finger or can be set in an east-west style so that the long side of the diamond is turned sideways. Beyoncé opted for a $5m emerald cut diamond.
- 1ct. Natural Emerald G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $2,015
- 1ct. Lab Grown Emerald G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $420
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Read more about emerald shaped cuts here
Radiant Cut Diamonds
If you combined a princess cut and an emerald cut you might arrive at a radiant cut diamond. Radiant cuts are not quite as rectangular as an emerald cut resulting in a slightly wider and more balanced look.
- 1ct. Natural Radiant G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $4,775
- 1ct. Lab Grown Radiant G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $465
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Read more about radiant shaped cuts here
Pear Cut Diamonds
These have more variability in style than some of the other more classic cuts. Pear cut diamonds can come in wider, thinner, taller, and shorter shapes with a range of length-to-width ratios.
- 1ct. Natural Pear G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $2,900
- 1ct. Lab Grown Pear G VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $470
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Read more about pear shaped cuts here
Asscher Cut Diamonds
Very similar to an emerald cut, Asscher cut diamonds have cropped corners so its more like an octagon with eight distinctive sides than it is a rectangle.
- 1ct. Natural Asscher F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $2,530
- 1ct. Lab Grown Asscher F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $515
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Read more about asscher shaped cuts here
Marquise Cut Diamonds
These are a less popular cut but they're one of my personal favorites. If you opt for a marquise cut be careful when selecting the specific diamond you want. You need to watch out for the length-to-width ratio and ‘bowties’ which can cause visual shadows in the gemstone and diminish its sparkle.
- 1ct. Natural Marquise F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $5,130
- 1ct. Lab Grown Marquise F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $520
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Read more about marquise shaped cuts here
Heart Cut Diamonds
Like all matters of the heart, this is a tricky one. It’s an awkward shape to get right when cutting but if you like the symbolism for it, go ahead.
- 1ct. Natural Heart F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $3,275
- 1ct. Lab Grown Heart F VS1 Very Good Cut starting at: $505
Shop All Heart Shape Diamonds
Read more about heart shaped cuts here
What's the best cut grade for the shape? Rare Carat Ideal! Check it out here
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Get started searching for your favorite diamond shapes. As always, our certified diamond experts are standing by over in the chat bubble to give you a hand searching or to answer any additional questions you may have about diamond shapes.
