JEWELRY GUIDES
Shop smart with our ultimate jewelry buyer’s guide. Discover expert advice on sizing, gemstone quality, metal choices, care tips, and buying authentic jewelry.
Pear Cut
- Shape: Teardrop with one rounded end and one pointed end.
- Appearance: Elegant and eye-catching.
- Best for: Pendants, drop earrings, and rings.
- Size appearance: Usually looks relatively large for its weight because of its elongated shape.
- Note: Check for a centered point and balanced proportions.
Marquise Cut
- Shape: Long oval with two pointed ends.
- Appearance: Dramatic, slender, and distinctive.
- Best for: Statement rings and elongated pendants.
- Size appearance: Often among the largest-looking shapes for its carat weight.
- Note: The pointed tips need protective settings to reduce chipping risk.
Round Brilliant Cut
- Shape: Perfect circle.
- Appearance: Intense sparkle and balanced symmetry.
- Best for: Engagement rings, stud earrings, pendants.
- Size appearance: Moderate for its weight; some carat weight is used in depth.
- Popularity: A classic, widely favored diamond shape.
Princess Cut
- Shape: Square, with pointed corners.
- Appearance: Modern, geometric, and sparkly.
- Best for: Contemporary engagement rings and stud earrings.
- Size appearance: Usually looks compact compared with elongated shapes of equal weight.
- Note: The corners benefit from protective prongs or a suitable setting.
Oval Cut
- Shape: Elongated circle.
- Appearance: Brilliant sparkle with an elegant, stretched outline.
- Best for: Rings, pendants, statement jewelry.
- Size appearance: Often looks larger than a round diamond of equal carat weight.
- Note: Some oval diamonds display a dark bow-tie pattern across the center.
Emerald Cut
- Shape: Rectangular with clipped corners.
- Appearance: Broad, mirror-like flashes rather than intense pinpoints of sparkle.
- Best for: Sophisticated, minimalist jewelry.
- Size appearance: Its long rectangular outline can look large face-up.
- Note: The open, step-cut facets make inclusions and color more visible, so clarity and color deserve close attention.
Cushion Cut
- Shape: Square or rectangular with rounded corners.
- Appearance: Soft, pillow-like outline with brilliant or crushed-ice sparkle patterns.
- Best for: Vintage-inspired rings and romantic jewelry.
- Size appearance: Depends strongly on its depth and outline.
Heart Cut
- Shape: Heart with two lobes and a cleft at the top.
- Appearance: Romantic and distinctive.
- Best for: Anniversary gifts, pendants, and romantic rings.
- Size appearance: Depends on its width, length, and depth.
- Note: Symmetry is especially important for a well-defined heart shape.
Radiant Cut
- Shape: Square or rectangular with trimmed corners.
- Appearance: Bright, lively sparkle with a rectangular outline.
- Best for: Modern rings and bold jewelry designs.
- Size appearance: A well-proportioned elongated radiant can look large for its weight.
Asscher Cut
- Shape: Square with clipped corners.
- Appearance: Concentric, step-like facets and a distinctive hall-of-mirrors effect.
- Best for: Art Deco and vintage-style jewelry.
- Size appearance: Can look smaller than brilliant shapes of the same weight because of its depth and outline.
The 4Cs: What determines Diamond quality?
1. Cut
How well the facets and proportions handle light. This is a major factor in sparkle.
2. Color
For conventional colorless-to-light-yellow diamonds, the GIA scale runs from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown).
3. Clarity
The presence and visibility of internal inclusions and external blemishes. Grades range from Flawless to Included.
4. Carat
The diamond's weight. A higher carat weight usually means a larger stone, but not necessarily a larger-looking one.