Don’t get the diamond cut confused with diamond shapes. These are the diamond shapes that Desirable Gems carry in our inventory.



The straight baguette, tapered baguettes, half moons and trapezoid shapes are only used as side stones.

Shape is a matter of personal taste; the round brilliant cut still has the title of most popular.  In a close second are the princess and marquise cuts.

When buying a diamond for someone, keep in mind their personality and physical features. A hopeless romantic may love the heart shaped diamond. While a women who is up on all the latest trends would surely adore the Tycoon Cut diamond. A round or princess cut will complement a women with smaller hands, where women with long slender hands may be better suited for an oval, pear or marquise cut. Be sure to keep these factors in mind when selecting a diamond.

The most popular shape still remains the Round Brilliant Cut.  In a close second are the princess and oval cuts.  The Tycoon cut is quickly gaining popularity as it is a fancy cut which offers exceptional return of light and sparkle, as well as beautiful mounting designs.  Other popular styles include the emerald, asscher and pear cuts.

Of course the best way to determine which shape a woman prefers is to ask. Ask her, her friends, her mother, co-workers anyone close to her.  It is not uncommon for these subjects to come up in a women’s conversation!  Use that to your advantage. This is also a great way to determine her ring size.

How does cut affect fancy shaped diamonds?

With the round brilliant cut, it is easy to formulate the criteria for an “ideal “cut. But
What about fancy cut diamonds? How do you determine the quality of these cuts? While
there are no set standards for “ideal ‘cuts for these cuts here are some guidelines:

• First and foremost, the sparkle! Just as with the round diamonds, fancy cuts should also give you the return of light and brilliance you expect from all diamond shapes.
• The symmetry of fancy cut diamonds should be taken into consideration. Take a heart shaped diamond, the two lobes of the heart should mirror each other.
• Check the certification. This will give you the proportions, polish and symmetry which help determine the quality of the cut.
• Cuts such as marquises, pears and hearts, any shape with points should be thick enough at these areas to stand up to normal wear and tear.  If these are not cut correctly, it makes your diamond susceptible to chipping and cracking.
• Certain fancy cut diamonds can contain a phenomenon called a “bowtie.” This is an area in the middle of a diamond which is lacking brilliance, resembling a bowtie. This can occur in oval and marquise diamonds. A well-cut stone will show very minimum bowtie effect.