Planning to surprise your girlfriend or fiance with a diamond? Diamonds are the greatest gifts a man can give to a woman. But buying a diamond isn’t as simple as many people think.

Diamonds are expensive and they must fit a piece of jewelry properly before becoming something memorable. And the only way you can do that is to mix and match the shape and size of the diamond with that of the jewelry you have decided.

Virtually all diamonds sold today are available in ten round or fancy shapes. The shape you pick will decide the outlook of the jewelry. Sometimes people prefer one shape over the other, so it is necessary to know which one is the best for you.

The Most Common Diamond Shapes

Round Diamonds – Don’t want to complicate things? Just go for the round cut diamond. These are the most common diamonds that can virtually fit any piece of jewelry. They offer a perfect balance of brilliance, light, and brightness.

Princess Cut Diamond – buying a diamond for an engagement ring? The princess cut diamonds are known to be perfect for rings. Get this shape because it is flexible and you can virtually fit it on any kind of ring.

Oval Diamonds – Need to surprise your girlfriend with a big diamond? Diamonds are usually very small but oval diamond’s elongated shape makes it appear larger, perfect to give to someone who likes big diamonds.

Marquise Diamond – This football-shaped diamond combines round diamond with an oval diamond shape to give you a diamond that not only looks big but also has the largest surface area to work with.

Cushion Cut Diamond – Cushion cut diamonds are square shaped diamonds with round corners, making them beautiful from the very beginning. They are extremely popular among women who love sophisticated jewelry.

Emerald cut Diamond – Emerald cut diamonds are unique and loved by a vast majority of women. Instead of being a sparkly brilliant-cut diamond, emerald diamonds produce something known as the hall-of-mirrors effect which makes it a mesmerizing diamond that balances light and dark planes.

Pear-shaped diamonds – When you combine marquise diamond with a round diamond, you get a pear-shaped diamond that has a tapered point on one end. This is a perfect diamond for people who love symmetry.

Asscher cut diamonds – Want an emerald shape diamond but with more brilliance? The Asscher cut diamond is the perfect answer to your need. This diamond is very similar to emerald but has a square shape which gives it a higher crown, larger step facets, and a smaller table, which helps in producing more brilliance.

Radiant Cut Diamonds – The radiant cut diamonds are the only rectangular diamonds that have complete brilliant-cut facet pattern that is on the pavilion as well as on the crown. This makes it one of the most vibrant and lively diamonds available today.

Heart Shaped Diamonds – heart shaped diamonds are a popular choice for pendants. These make an excellent gift to show your love to your fiance or girlfriend.

There are many more explanations that go in greater detail, so check out this link to diamond cuts and examine them carefully.