The most common shapes of diamonds seen in jewelry are pictured above. They include: Emerald, Heart, Pear, Round Brilliant, Marquise, Radiant, Oval and Princess Cuts. Numerous variations exist on the above shapes, many of which may contain Trade marks as to the use of their names. Other common cuts not shown above include Baguettes (both straight and tapered), Triangle, Half Moon, Star, Cushion, Flanders, Asscher, as well as Fantasy Cuts. Often Colored Stones and increasingly more often, diamonds may be Mixed Cut. These stones may possess a crown (top) with one cutting style and a pavilion (bottom) with another. It is the combination of faceting styles which ultimately gives each stone it's own personality in the form of brilliance (reflected white light) and dispersion (refracted spectral colors).

The diagrams on the right will show many of the variations in cutting styles. Click on the pictures to see enlarged images.