There’s a certain level of excitement that comes with shopping for an engagement ring. Finding the perfect ring and slipping it onto your finger for the first time brings about an incomparable feeling, but before that can happen, you need to know your way around the various diamond shapes out there.

From timeless pieces to popular modern cuts, these are the most popular styles that will help you narrow down your search for the perfect engagement ring.

Round

The most popular style. The round cut is a timeless piece that continues to thrive as the most beloved of all ring styles. Round cuts are valued because of how well they reflect light as they are cut in a way which maximises their brightness. They tend to be more expensive than their fancier counterparts as they are more in demand, accounting for almost 75% of worldwide diamond sales.

Image via Diamond World

Marquise

A cousin of the pear cut style, marquise cuts are an elongated style that almost resemble a diamond football. In reality, the shape came from the mouth of the Marquise of Pompadour, who King Louis XIV deemed as having a perfectly-shaped mouth. Much like their pear relative, the marquise cut lets the finger appear longer and slimmer, and its larger size makes the diamond appear bigger (added luxury for smaller budgets).

Pear

A cross between round and marquise; an exquisite pear diamond should have all the right proportions to ensure that the point matches up to the centre of the rounded end (the apex). The elongated shape of pear cut rings helps the finger appear slimmer and longer, with the choice of slim and wide pear cuts.

Image via Diamond World

Vintage-inspired

Vintage and antique style engagement rings continue to surge in popularity; from Edwardian to Art Deco and Victorian. Vintage style rings are perfect for soon-to-be brides who love old world charm. Vintage styles are timeless pieces that bring a touch of glamour to an heirloom-like piece (and are great pieces of jewellery to hand down through generations).

Emerald

Channelling the Art Deco style, emerald cut rings provide a subtler sparkle effect than round cut styles, with their pavilion step cuts and open table giving off a ‘hall-of-mirrors’ effect that creates a dramatic lighting effect, giving off an elegant sparkle.

Image via Diamond World

Stacking Bands

The stacking bands trend continues to be popular, mostly in part to their customisable nature. Stacking bands allows brides to wear as many bands as they want, with their crown-shape style allowing them to come together to form a larger ring.

Princess

The most popular of the fancy cut diamonds, princess cuts are typically square-shaped and are regarded as extremely versatile, being able to be worked into any style of ring. Princess cut rings are a popular alternative to round cut rings and are generally slightly less expensive.

Image via Diamond World

Diamond World Fine Jewellery are experts in crafting the perfect, custom-made piece for life’s special moments. Visit www.diamondworldfinejewellery.com.au now to book your complimentary one-on-one consultation with Master Craftsman, Jim Chohaili.