These are the common shapes or cuts for gemstones, each lending a different look and allure.
Baguette
Baguette means “stick” or “rod” in French, which makes it a very appropriate name for this gemstone shape. Diamond baguettes are often used as accent stones to flank a primary stone.
Brilliant
Any gemstone cut with 58 facets, which produces the maximum possible sparkle. A brilliant cut can have several shapes, including round, oval, pear, radiant and heart.
Cabochon
This shape features a rounded, perfectly smooth surface instead of facets. It is the oldest gemstone shape and is commonly used with opaque stones such as opal, jade and turquoise.
Cushion
A very popular style for most of the 19th century, cushion shapes are slightly domed with rounded corners that make the stone look like a pillow. In fact, this shape is often referred to as a “pillow cut.” It looks particularly beautiful in candlelight.
Emerald
With its long, steep facets, emerald cuts tend to flash rather than sparkle.
Fancy
Technically, this term refers to any type of gemstone that isn’t round, but many jewelers reserve it to describe the more exotic gemstone shapes such as marquise, heart, pear and trillion.
Heart
Often described as a custom cut, heart-shaped gemstones are very popular for pendants.
Marquise
According to legend, this shape was commissioned by King Louis XV to resemble the smile of his mistress, Marquise de Pompadour. Ideal marquise cuts have a length to width ratio of 2:1.
Oval
Similar to the round shape, oval gemstones produce a high amount of sparkle and fire.
Pear
This is a classic teardrop shape that is ideal for earrings and pendants.
Princess
This a relatively new shape that combines the sharp, flat edges of an emerald shape with numerous small facets, which produce both sparkle and fire.
Radiant
This shape is similar to emerald, but it adds extra facets on the edges and corners to increase the gemstone’s sparkle.
Round
This classic shape produces maximum sparkle and fire, making it an ideal shape for diamonds.
Tapered Baguette
A tapered baguette is a baguette shape with one end that is narrower than the other.
Trillion
A very striking, usually three-sided shape, trillion gemstones (especially diamonds) are celebrated for the intense fire they produce.
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