Princess Cut

The princess cut is a square cut with fearlessly sharp corners. The best of them have a fiery sparkle, and they are popular for engagement rings ,wedding rings and diamond rings. A princess cut diamond makes an excellent solitaire on a band of white gold or platinum, but those corners are best protected in a prong setting.

Cushion Cut

The cushion cut diamond has been popular since the 1920s, and technologies have allowed lapidists to make modifications to the pavilion facets. Unlike a lot of cut and polished stones, the pavilion of a cushion cut diamond makes up most of its weight. Because of this, a cushion cut jewel does well on diamond jewellery items such as diamond earrings or diamond pendants.

Asscher Cut

The Asscher cut diamond was developed in 1902 from a simple step cut diamond that resembled the emerald cut. Modifications have added 72 facets, a high crown and perfect symmetry. Looking down through a perfect Asscher cut diamond reveals series of glittering, nested squares.

Radiant Cut

The radiant shape was the first truly square cut to be cut in the brilliant style, which means it has many facets arranged to provide maximum light dispersion and fire.

Point Cut

The point cut isn’t really one of the most popular cuts of the 21st century. It is simply a diamond that is cleaned and polished just enough to become more symmetrical while retaining a natural point. Point cuts were very popular during the Renaissance and can often be seen in the portraits of royal personages.

Table Cut
These are diamonds that have a large table facet. They’re not necessarily square unless they are mirror or spread table cut. Mirror or spread table cut stones are mostly made of their table facet and have a shallow pavilion, or lower part. Rough, twinned stones called macles are often formed into mirror table cut gems.

French Cut

A French cut is a square table cut that appears as a diagonal, four pointed star when a person looks straight down into the crown.

Old Mine Cut
This is a type of cushion cut popular in the 18th and 19th centuries after the old diamond mines in India had been depleted and lapidists learned how to make the brilliant cut. The first mine cut diamonds were simply modifications of table cut stones whose corners had been chipped off.

Buying Square-Shaped Diamonds
The best to buy a certified square shape diamond ordiamond jewellery is to shop online. Most online stores provide in depth education of the 4C’s of the diamonds. Furthermore, online diamond jewellery shopping allows customers to conveniently compare prices without the pressure of commissioned sales representatives.

So, for those wondering what shape of diamond to get for the lady in their life, whether it be for diamond earrings, a diamond ring or diamond pendants, here are some suggestions:

Round
The round cut diamond is for the lady who is classy and traditional. The round brilliant shape is the most popular cut for a diamond and is found on all sorts of diamond jewelry, especially in engagement ring , from the most humble to the most grand. The round brilliant has become one of the most traditional and sought after cuts of all, even though it was only perfected during World War I.

Some jewelers, including those who sell online diamond jewellery, use shape and cut interchangeably. Others use cut when they mean the way the gem cutter actually shapes the stone. In the case of the round brilliant, a cut that’s too shallow or too deep ruins the diamond’s ability to sparkle.

Princess
The princess cut is a square cut with sharp corners and is just the thing for the lady who’s playful, cheerful and really a girl at heart. As even a diamond can be chipped, it is best to put this gemstone in a prong setting on an engagement ring to protect those corners.

Asscher
Though this is a modern cut, having been developed in 1902, it’s for a woman who possesses an old-fashioned femininity. It’s of step cut that has squares steps with cropped corners.

Oval
This cut is for an imaginative lady who likes to experiment and embraces the latest in all things, whether it’s art, food or fashion. This is the piece of diamond jewellery that makes a short finger look long and elegant when it’s set on a ring

Radiant
This sparkling cut is for a positive and energetic woman who likes to flirt, even if she is engaged. This rectangular-shaped diamond has a brilliant cut, which makes it especially fiery on diamond ring

Pear
Made for a bold yet charming and somewhat idiosyncratic lady, the pear-shaped diamond has been heralded in song. Pears are great for diamond pendants.

Heart
Who else but a tender-hearted romantic would go for a heart-shaped diamond?

Marquise
This cut was said to be inspired by the lips of the mistress of one of those French Bourbon kings. Accordingly, it is for a woman who’s dramatic, outgoing, yet refined.

Cushion
For a lady who is fancy and chic yet delicate, cushion cut diamond jewellery is a perfect fit. It looks like its name. It is a square with round corners and is interesting because much of its carat weight is in the bottom part, or the pavilion.

Buying a Perfect Diamond
The very best and costliest diamonds are flawless, truly colorless and expertly cut and polished no matter their final shape. The size of the carat is up to what the wearer wants and the buyer can afford. If a fancy, or colored diamond is bought, the clarity is not as important as the richness of the color. The trend of buying certified diamond jewellery Online has increased tremendously in the past decade.

In my last blog, Rings Setting Guide: The Settings that Carry the Stones, I talked aboutProng Setting,
Tension Setting, Bezel Setting,Channel Setting,Halo Setting.In this blog, I will go over a few more intricate and exceptional jewelry setting types.

1. Pave Setting: To achieve the paved look, tiny incisions are made in the metal and then small stones are set into those incisions. Microscopic prongs are then created to hold the stones in place. This creates the illusion of one continuous sheet of diamonds and increases their luster. The only issue with pave setting is the difficulty in making changes after the pave has been set. 

2. Three Stone Setting: In line with the name, this setting is made using three stones, either of similar size or with a larger center stone. The stones are set extremely close to each other, either in a single, straight line, or with the center stone slightly raised. This is a very symbolic setting, especially when used as an anniversary ring as it is believed to represent the past, present and future.

3. Cathedral Setting: A single stone or a small cluster of multiple stones is set atop a ring, with graceful arches raising it above the shank. The overall look and feel of this setting is that of the arches of a cathedral – thus giving this setting its name. This style is most commonly used for solitaire rings, particularly for engagement and wedding rings. This setting style uses the arches in combination with either prong, tension or bezel setting styles to keep the stone in place.

4. Cluster Setting: Somewhat similar to Halo setting, Cluster setting utilizes multiple small stones set almost flush with each other in a cluster to create the impression of a single comparatively larger stone. The cluster itself can be of any shape – round, square, oval, or anything else that catches the imagination. However, the setting is best suited for round diamonds.

5. Invisible Setting: An extremely tough setting to achieve, Invisible setting requires micro grooves to be cut into the diamond or stone on the side facets, below the girdle. The stones are then set flush with each other and two micro plates or strips of metal are passed through the grooves such that from the top, there is absolutely no indication of any metal contact with the diamond. The impression created is a bunch of diamonds, set perfectly, without any metal support. The Invisible setting is ideal for Princess cut diamonds as the diamonds sit perfectly aligned with their sides flush against each other.

There are of course several other settings that are in use around the world. However, these are the more popular and in demand settings.

Interesting Trivia: One particular setting is called “The Cathedral Setting” because of its appearance of raised arches of a church or a cathedral. It is a fantastic setting for an engagement or wedding ring as it gives a divine look to the ring. But, it is also quite delicate and prone to snagging and bending because of the diamond’s height above the shank of the ring.

Every piece of jewelry that is studded with diamonds or gemstones, whether it’s hand-made or crafted using advanced CNC machines, requires immense attention to detail when it comes to the Setting. The Setting not only determines the aesthetic appearance of the jewelry, but it also ensures that the studded stones do not fall off.

Interesting Trivia: The widely used prong setting has been modified into many other interesting variations including the Tiffany Setting, which is a trademark style of the jewelry powerhouse – Tiffany. The Tiffany setting consists of six prongs uniquely designed to hold a diamond securely in the center which enhances its overall brilliance and shine.

In order to fully understand and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the making of studded jewelry, it is definitely necessary to understand the different kinds of settings that are used to set the stones into the metal. At the same time, knowledge of the setting also allows buyers to better assess the value of their jewelry piece.

Prong Setting: This classic and time tested technique is also the most commonly used setting style for embedding diamonds and gemstones. It consists of tiny metal claws – anywhere from three to six – to hold the diamond or gemstone firmly in place. The upper edges of the claws sit just on top of the crown of the diamond or stone and ensure that it does not loosen or fall off. There are also different types of claws or prongs – round, V-shaped, flat, sharp edged. Depending on the shape of the diamond or stone being used and the overall style of the jewelry, the type of prong setting is chosen.

Tension Setting: Another setting that has been around for a while is the tension setting. In this style, there are no prongs; instead the stone or diamond is held in place through the pressure created by the two open ends of metal band. This is a setting style that is best suited for rings and is quite popular in solitaire rings. 

Bezel Setting: An elegant and stylish setting that is extremely popular in rings is the bezel setting. Unlike prong or tension, the bezel setting works by completely encasing the diamond or stone in a thin metal bezel. This makes it one of the strongest and most stable settings, just ideal for daily or regular wear rings and jewelry.

Channel Setting: This is widely considered to be the best and safe setting for smaller diamonds. A metal channel is created in which the stones or diamonds are set closely and tightly against each other. This gives them unparalleled security. The setting is ideal for stones or diamonds that are to be set into the shank of a ring.

Halo Setting: As the name suggests, there is a central gemstone or diamond in the halo setting around which other stones are set. The halo can be either a round or a square. The purpose of the halo setting is to create the impression of a bigger center stone by comparing it to the smaller stones around it.

These are just five of the many settings that are used to embed diamonds and stones into jewelry. In my next blog, I will go over many other setting styles that are prevalent today.