Round brilliant cut diamonds are currently the most expensive diamond shape in the market due to their high demand, popularity, and carat weight sacrificed to produce this shape. When cutting a round diamond, almost 65% of a diamond’s rough weight is lost (compared to a princess cut, which retains nearly 70% of a diamond’s rough).

Diamond shapes that are typically less expensive require less time and skill to cut and lose less rough carat weight, as well as those that are less popular or in high demand than other shapes. Such shapes include emerald diamonds, princess diamonds, radiant cut diamonds, and oval cut diamonds.

The brilliant round cut is widely regarded as the most brilliant, and the diamond shape exhibits the most sparkle. With 58 facets, round brilliant cut diamonds are designed to refract and reflect light to maximize brilliance and sparkle. However, other shapes, such as cushion cut diamonds, oval diamonds, pear cut diamonds, and princess cut diamonds, can also exhibit beautiful radiance if cut well and have high-quality facets.

It is important to note that diamonds are typically measured by their carat weight. In essence, one-carat diamonds will have roughly the same size. However, diamonds with an elongated shape may appear larger than diamonds with a round or square shape, and this is because these shapes have a larger surface area. Visually, marquise cut diamonds appear the largest due to their larger face-up size. Other shapes that can seem more significant than their carat weight include oval, emerald, and pear-cut diamonds

Natural diamonds were created billions of years ago, deep within the earth’s mantle. This high pressure, high temperature environment bonded carbon atoms together to form diamond crystals. Volcanic eruptions eventually pushed them upwards, where a finite amount of them now exist about 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface, just waiting to be unearthed and cherished by you and your loved one.