By Gary A.
Edited by Brian M.
Published Oct 3, 2021
Edited on Dec 8, 2024
When it comes to selecting a truly breathtaking engagement ring, choosing between the most expensive diamond cuts could be the key to making a statement—are you ready to explore your options?
Whether your diamond is a classic Round or Oval cut, a fancy Pear or Marquise, or a vintage Emerald or Asscher, it stands to reason that the price is going to be determined primarily by its size (or, more accurately, its carat weight) and its quality.
After all, while our tastes in diamond cuts will always differ, it’s pretty clear that bigger, clearer, and better-proportioned diamonds will always be worth more – or, at least, much more than those that are smaller, discolored or poorly cut.
It can take some time to get your head around each of the Four Csalluded to above, but, in reality, they’re not the only thing that impacts the value of a diamond. Alongside the quality of a diamond’s cut(which, as you know, should always be in the Excellent – Very Good range) the shape of the diamond itself will alter its value on the market for a few good reasons.
Before we dive deeper into the specifics, here are some practical tips to help guide your decision-making process:
Now that you’ve got these practical tips, use Jeweler AI below to find the perfect engagement ring that suits your style and budget:
It’s very normal for these two phrases to be used interchangeably when you’re shopping for diamonds. In reality, cut refers to the diamond’s proportions, polish and symmetry, while shape refers exclusively to the form the diamond has been cut into – for instance, a Radiant, Round, Emerald, or Pear.
As one of the Four Cs, the subject of ‘Cut’ is very important to get right – and you can read more about diamond proportion in this guide. Here, however, we’ll focus on the many different shapes diamonds are cut into – and how this will impact your final total at the jewelry store.
It should come as no surprise that popularity is reason enough on its own to give any diamond shape’s value a boost. But, as a first-time shopper, knowing which shapes are the most popular doesn’t always come naturally – although the answer is a little more obvious than you might be expecting…
The Round brilliant has represented the mainstay of the engagement ring world for many, many decades. While the popularity of certain cuts, like the Pear, comes and goes throughout the generations, the Round diamond has never been unseated as the most popular and traditional shape out there.
There are many reasons why the Round Brilliant is so consistently our favorite. For starters, it’s versatile and classic without looking old-fashioned. It’s also the sparkliest shape on the market.
The Heart is widely considered to be the trickiest shape to get perfect, with the Pear also causing some headaches for diamond cutters. The Round, however, requires the most precision – and leads to the most wastage.
When it comes to the Heart and Pear shapes, this can mean that it is tougher to find a good quality cut – although it’s certainly not impossible. You can browse a wide selection of ‘Excellent’ and ‘Very Good’ GIA graded Pear cuts here, for instance.
Nevertheless, the cutting process behind the Round is yet another reason why it remains significantly more expensive than these two tricky-to-master shapes. Perfecting each and every facet and attaining that mathematical level of precision that went into creating the Round brilliant shape in the first place is not easy, particularly when the diamond cutter needs to focus on preserving as much weight as possible.
We mentioned above how this wasted rough diamond can be used to create melee diamonds (among other things), but a larger diamond is still going to be worth far more than the diamond cutter. Since other shapes produce less waste, the Round has yet another reason to be the costliest shape out there.
The Round is known for featuring 57-58 facets, although the Oval, Cushion and Emerald all feature the same number of facets.
Most diamonds will feature 57 facets, and the 58th facet is represented by the culet – an undesirable extra cut made into the tip of the diamond’s pavilion.
This high number (and the very particular arrangement) of facets is why the Round is known for its incredible sparkle – and why it’s regarded as one of the most difficult cuts to get perfect.
If it wasn’t already crystal clear by now, the Round cut diamond represents the most expensive choice for shoppers today – and for the foreseeable future.
The Round cut can cost thousands of dollars more than some shapes, and you will notice a difference if you start comparing similar diamonds featuring different cuts.
This is why learning about the Four Cs can be so useful. While the Round is expensive, it also gives shoppers plenty of freedom to opt for much lower (and cheaper) clarity and color grades, potentially saving you thousands of dollars.
Of course, this is something shoppers can practice across the board – no matter what shape they choose – but the Round offers more flexibility than others.
For instance, we mentioned how the Emerald and Asscher cuts are a little fussier about clarity – something which can compel buyers to invest more into clarity than they would otherwise need to.
So, while the Round cut is the most expensive shape out there, there are ways of making your total spend more manageable.
The value of the Round diamond lasts well beyond its initial purchase.
It’s not just about what you pay in the beginning. Consider the fact that the Round brilliant has represented the mainstay of the engagement ring world for many, many decades. While the popularity of certain cuts, like the Pear, comes and goes throughout the generations, the Round diamond has never been unseated as the most popular and traditional shape out there.
It’s pretty fair to surmise, then, that a skilfully cut and polished (and well cared for) Round diamond will retain the most value over time.
Also, consider the fact that other shapes are a little more vulnerable to damage than the Round. The delicate points on the Marquise and Pear – and the sharp corners on the Princess cut – are not impervious to damage, and any chips will bring down the value of a diamond.
Hearts and arrows diamonds are typically worth anywhere from 10% – 30% more than others, Excellent cut Round diamonds that do not feature the pattern. As a result, they tend to represent the most expensive Round cut diamonds out there.
Obviously, other factors play a part too, but diamond cutters typically only invest the time and attention needed to create a hearts and arrows diamond into stones that already exhibit a very good color, carat weight and level of clarity.
So, it’s pretty safe to say that most hearts and arrows diamonds out there represent the most expensive options for shoppers looking to invest in the already higher priced Round cut.
Whether or not this cost is worthwhile is down to you and your budget, although you can find out more about the hearts and arrows phenomenon (and its value) if you click here.
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