Guide: Gem Cuts and Shapes

Gemstone are nature’s most beautiful creations. These tiny little stones hold impeccable beauty and powers within them. One look at them and you get lost in their sparkle and the magnificent colors – Gem Cuts and Shapes

The beauty of a Gemstone is a direct result of the shape they are cut in. The shape is a defining criterion when it comes to the excellence of a crystal. Therefore, before buying a Gemstone one has to consider various shapes of the particular Gemstone they may be willing to buy.

Gemstone are cut into various beautiful shapes which increases the appeal of these tiny crystals. Here is a list of some of the most demanded and common Gemstone shapes in the market.

1. Oval

Oval is the most common shape in the Gemstone world. It has a high demand and therefore, almost all the Gemstone are available in this shape. The oval shape of a Gemstone varies depending on the cutting tool and technique. It may be a perfect oval with smooth edges and polished finishing to a loosely spherical shape. When it comes to retaining the carat weight, the oval-shaped is preferred over other shapes because of its ability to retain the most carat weight in a Gemstone.

The oval shape is usually achieved with a cabochon cut or they may be faceted with a brilliant cut. Oval cut precious stones are popular as an engagement ring. A 56-carat oval-shaped diamond ring is one of the most popular engagement rings over the years. Princess Diana’s engagement ring was an oval sapphire ring, which now belongs to the wife of her son, Kate Middleton – Guide: Gem Cuts and Shapes – Bulk Gemstones

2. Marquise

Marquise is an oval shape with some slight variations. It is a pointed oval shape made with a modified brilliant cut. In this shape, the facets on both the surfaces are matching and this is an important factor of Marquise. This property makes it a very demanding and fragile cut. Making a marquise shape stone requires precision and skills.

The Marquise is often called as ‘Navette’. It is a commonly used synonym for Marquise. One of the unique properties of Marquise shape is that enhances the visible size of stone without altering the carat weight. Therefore, a marquise-shaped diamond looks bigger and more expensive as compared to other shapes.

3. Round

Round is the traditional shape of the Gemstone. During earlier times, round were the most popular and probably the only shape in the market. It remains the classic Gemstone shape and has a high demand in the market. Round stones can be made with cabochon.

They are put into grit for several days or weeks until a perfectly smooth and polished finishing is achieved. They are also paired with brilliant or rose cut to get them a perfectly round shape. A round diamond ring remains the most demanded and popular engagement ring. The cut and shape of the round crystal maximize the sparkle and brilliance of Gemstone and makes it even more appealing.

4. Pear

The pear shape is the preferred shape for Gemstone for earrings and necklaces. A pear-shaped Gemstone is usually 56 to 58 faceted. The pear shape is often termed as the teardrop shape because of the resemblance in both shapes. Its key feature is one broad, round end and another pointed end. In a pear shape, the Gemstone shapes appear to be drawing an eye downward. Gem gurus believe that in this shape a Gemstone attracts higher spirituality.

– Guide: Gem Cuts and Shapes – Bulk Gemstones

5. Heart

The heart is popular among lovers and couples because of its symbolism with love. It is a highly demanded shape, especially in necklaces and pendants. During Valentines’ week, the heart-shaped Gemstone are the most popular with their sales soaring up to the sky. The heart shape can be seen as the modified version of the pear shape.

A tiny little division at the top of the round surface of the pear shape Gemstone turns it into a heart-shaped crystal. This may sound like an easy process but it is not. This small step requires great detailing and skills. One wrong move your Gemstone is in a completely ruined shape. The heart-shaped Gemstone is paired with brilliant-cut which results in 58 facets to the final Gemstone.

6. Radiant

The radiant shape is a combination of sparkling brilliance of round shape and square lines of emerald. The corners are trimmed and angle creating 68 to 70 facets in a stone. In this shape, a Gemstone carries the property of round shape as well as the square lines of emerald making it a highly desired shape in the world of Gemstone.

7. Trillion

As the name suggests, it is a three-sided shape resembling a triangle. It is often called trillion, or a trilliant. It is paired with the brilliant-cut which results in 31 to 43 facets on the surface of the stone. Trillion is very popular in modern Jewelry design. This shape brings out excellent brilliance in the Gemstone. The Gemstone in this shape may have either rounded or pointed corners and may have straight or curved sides.

– Guide: Gem Cuts and Shapes – Bulk Gemstones

8. Briolette

Briolette is a form of pear shape with modifications. It is considered as one of the hardest cut to achieve. The main difference between a pear shape and Briolette is that later is faceted on all the sides. This shape traces its origin in India around the 12^th century and gained popularity during the 17^th and 18^th century. In the modern era of precious stones, this has achieved the level of classic and is usually counted among the vintage shapes of Gemstone.

– Guide: Gem Cuts and Shapes – Bulk Gemstones

9. Square

The square shape of a Gemstone includes several variations. It is very common and high in demand. Square cut s often paired with another cut to give out amazing new shapes and styles to the Gemstone.

• Square Princess

You may have heard a lot about princess cut. It is popular among the younger generation and is gifted to a loved one and is a highly demanded engagement ring shape. A princess-cut is a combination of square shape with a brilliant-cut and pointed corners. A princess-cut Gemstone has around 78 facets. In princess cut, the color of the stone is brilliantly sparkled in all the corners as well as the center of the Gemstone. The sharp corners of the Gemstone give it a rich look and hence, it has high value.

• Square Asscher

In an Asscher shape, the top surface of a Gemstone is much smaller as compared to that of an emerald shape. This style gives a Gemstone, a nearly octagonal look resembling the style of the early twentieth century. The Asscher got its name from a famous gem cutter who invented this variation of Emerald shape. The invention of Asscher goes way back to 1902. In this shape, a Gemstone has 58 facets.

2001 saw modification in the Asscher shape. The number of facets increased from 58 to 72 and the corners widened, increasing the brilliance of the Gemstone. This lead to the increasing popularity of the Asscher stones as wedding rings. Many celebrities have been caught on camera showing off their Asscher wedding rings.

10. Rectangle

This is another popular Gemstone shape. Just like the square shape, it is also paired with other cuts to give the Gemstone a beautiful style.

• Rectangle Emerald

The more popular rectangle shape, the emerald, is common among Ring Jewelry. The top surface of the Gemstone is flat and the corners are angled. The edges of the stone showcase steps. This style has a close resemblance to a mirror. Instead of having a deep sparkle, the rectangle emerald has a soft gleam which shows the clarity of the stone.

• Rectangle Baguette

The rectangle baguette was first practiced in the 1920s during the Art Nouveau periods. Since then, it has made a place among the most desired shapes of Gemstone. This shape resembles a thin emerald. The baguette is a long, narrow, rectangular shape; their one end may be thinner than the other.

• Rectangle Cushion

The cushion shape is a common variant of both rectangle and square shapes. It is also called the pillow shape. In this shape, the Gemstone have cornered and round edges. The rectangle and/or square cushion is a popular shape especially among the rich and elite class. In this shape, a Gemstone has large facets due to this there is enhanced clarity and the transparency of the crystal is increased.

Significance of Gemstone Shapes –

The shape of a Gemstone is defining property of the stone. Various features such as sparkle, clarity and intricacy are all dependent on the cut and shape of the stone. It is also believed that the shape of stone has a direct effect on the healing properties of that particular stone.

An oval-shaped diamond holds more significance in terms of a person’s love life than a square diamond. Therefore, if you are planning to buy a Gemstone then considering the shape of the stone is as important as other factors.