Diamond Cuts

		The Round Brilliant: The round brilliant is by far the most popular diamond shape. Its 57 facets catch the light beautifully.
		The Pear Cut: This water drop shaped diamond is the second most popular. This aesthetically appealing cut stands midway between the round brilliant and the marquise. The round bottom reflects the light with its 58 facets.
		The Marquise or Navette Cut: Legend has it that the name of this diamond shape was given because it was shaped like the Marquise of Pompadour’s mouth on a special request by Louis XIV . This diamond cut is tapered towards the extremities and has a very luminous centre. Cutting the 56 facets is a very precise and difficult job that requires a lot of skill.
		The Emerald or Octagonal Cut: The emerald shaped diamond is rectangular or square with 48 to 50 facets for optimal brilliance. Emerald cut diamonds have oblong facets on each side and around the corners. the usual ratio length - width is 7 to 5.
		The Oval Cut: The oval shaped diamond was first polished by Lazare Kaplan in the early 1960’s. This diamond shape has 56 facets to reflect the light. When the stone is well cut, it can almost be as brilliant as the round shaped diamond, because the angles are close to those of the round one.
		The Princess Cut: Most rectangular cuts are not as brilliant as the round one, but the princess cut was designed especially to get maximal brilliance from a square cut. Its 76 facets capture the light and give it an exceptional ‘fire’.
		The Radiant Cut: The radiant shape combines the elegance of the emerald cut with the brilliance of the round diamond. Many other rectangular cuts, like the princess, are derived from this especially luminescent cut.
		The Heart Cut: The heart is the ultimate symbol of love. The unique shape of this diamond cut makes it an excellent choice for a variety of jewellery. For an optimal colour and shape, the length-to-width ratio must be between .90 and 1.10.