The brilliant round has set the standard by which all other diamond shapes are measured. It is by far the most popular diamond shape available and accounts for three quarters of all diamonds sold today. It's 58-facet cut, divided across its crown, girdle and pavillion, has been calculated by a precise formula to maximise the fire and brilliance in a round diamond. The shape tends to be the most expensive, as there is often more waste from a rough diamond if it is cut to this shape.

The princess shape was designed to maximise a diamonds refractive properties like that of a round brilliant.  The princess shape is a popular diamond having only been invented approximately 30 years ago by Basil Watermeyer from Johannesburg. It has pointed corners and is traditionally square in shape.

The Cushion shape is an old cut which often resembles the Old Mine cut, a deep cut with large facets, common in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries and the modern Oval.  The cut diamonds can come in a range of shapes from square to rectangular depending on the length to width ratio.  This cut is also referred to as the pillow-cut or candlelight diamond, a reference to cuts designed prior to electric lights, when diamonds sparkled in the light provided by candles.

As its name suggests the Emerald cut was originally developed for cutting emeralds and not diamonds.  The Emerald shape is cut with rectangular facets and cut corners, the facets are broad with flat planes looking like the steps of a stair and is referred to as a step cut as opposed to a brilliant cut.  Due to its larger, open table, this shape highlights the clarity of a diamond, making inclusions and inferior colour more pronounced.

The elongated shape of a marquise diamond with its pointed ends, which legend has us believe was inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour.  It was commissioned by France's Louis XIV, more commonly referred to as the Sun King, who wanted a diamond polished into the shape of the mouth of the Marquise. A typical marquise diamond contains 56 facets.

The Oval shape diamond has beautiful brilliance and is very similar to a round except it is elliptical. It was invented by Lazare Kaplan in the early 1960s. The Oval brilliant usually has 56 facets and is very popular as its flattering illusion of length can accentuate the fingers.

The Radiant shape has 70 facets and is know for it cropped corners. Designed to not sacrifice any of the brilliance of a round, it is often rectangular in shape but can sometimes be square. The cut has the elegance of an emerald with the brilliance of a round shape.  The original radiant was created by WWII survivor, Henry Gossbard in 1977.

The heart shaped diamond is considered by many to be the most romantic of all the cuts, the ultimate symbol of love. It is similar to the pear shape, except that there is a cleft at the top of the cut. Often cutters may choose a heart shape over a pear because the rough diamond contained an inclusion located in the cleft.  The heart shaped diamond can be quite fiery with excellent sparkle.

The pear shaped brilliant cut is a beautiful combination of the round brilliant and marquise cut and is also referred to as a teardrop for its single point and rounded end. The stunningly unique look of the pear shape, like the marquise, helps to elongate the fingers when set in a beautiful ring.

This beautiful diamond cut was developed back in 1902 by the Asscher brothers of Holland, in recent years it has rapidly gained popularity and become much more fashionable having been featured on the television show Sex in the City. Its shape is a modern version of the emerald cut, except that it is perfectly square designed to draw your eye into the diamond. It is more brilliant, has a smaller table, deeper pavillion and bigger step facets.

One of the more unusual shapes the trillion diamond was first developed in Amsterdam and displays a sharp brilliance if the diamond is cut to the correct depth allowing good scintillation. The exact design often varies depending on the characteristics of the rough stone, it may be a traditional pointed triangular shape or more rounded, with 25 facets on the crown and 19 on the pavillion. This shape can also be referred to as trilliant or trillian.