Apart from status and rarity, there is one important attribute that makes a diamond highly regarded, and that is sparkle. A diamond sparkle produces the type of display that’s massively sought after, and as a result, most jewelry enthusiasts want to know what diamond shape sparkles the most before they can buy their next ring. Luckily, this article has everything you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a diamond cut with more facets to get the most sparkle.
- A round, brilliant cut produces unmatched sparkle.
- Marquise, oval, heart, and pear cuts are brilliant but flaw prone.
- Choose the right setting and pick AGS or GIA-certified diamonds.
What Diamond Shape Sparkles the Most?
A diamond’s sparkle is one of its main defining features, as it instantly signals that you’re wearing a special and unique ring. Adding a brilliant-cut diamond to your favorite engagement ring is a true display stopper.
Natural diamonds are known for their brilliance or sparkle. While each diamond cut will try to sparkle in a certain lightning condition, some shapes will produce a more pronounced and noticeable sparkle compared to others.
In the sections below, I’ve explained what diamond shape provides the most sparkles. While rounded ends offer the most sparkle, many other factors can make diamond jewelry shine. I've also shared some professional advice on how to pick a diamond that reflects much light, producing a beautiful sparkle.
Sparkle: What is it?
A sparkle simply refers to the ability of a diamond to reflect light, which produces a display of a disco ball. A diamond that produces the best sparkle has a structure that enables it to reflect as much light as possible in the best way.
When cutting a diamond, the engineer and diamond cutter should aim to have high-quality facets to make it sparkle. Facets are like tiny mirrors that twinkle and sparkle on a diamond surface.
What Diamond Cut Sparkles the Most?
Round brilliant cut diamonds provide the most sparkle, and with a lack of corners and perfect symmetry, no light is trapped, meaning it can effortlessly bounce back to the eyes.
A round brilliant cut diamond has the highest number of facets, 58 in total, which is ideal for maximum sparkle. A professional diamond cutter carefully places these facets so that a round-cut diamond can mirror the most amount of light.
Sparkliest Diamond Cuts Ranked
Apart from the round brilliant cut diamonds, other differently cut diamonds can also provide comparable sparkle. With that in mind, here are the most popular diamond shapes.
Emerald and Asscher Cut Diamonds
Asscher and emerald cut diamonds fall in the step cuts category. Instead of many small facets, asscher and emerald diamonds have a large table that allows you to see deep into them.
Asscher cut diamonds, and emerald cuts aren't prized for their sparkle, instead, they're prized for their subtle light flashes. Step-cut diamonds are also vintage diamonds as they offer a bit of classic-world glamor.
Cushion Cut Diamonds
A cushion-cut diamond is simply a square with rounded edges. Similar to round-cut diamonds, cushion-cut diamonds have 58 facets, meaning they can also provide a beautiful sparkle. However, since these facets are large, they make cushion-cut diamonds less brilliant than round-cut diamonds.
Pear, Heart, Marquise, and Oval Cuts
Heart, pear, marquise, oval and Leo diamonds are created in brilliant style, meaning they can give off an intense sparkle that can closely rival round diamonds. However, they still have some unique features that make these fancy diamond shapes less sparkly.
Most of them have 56 facets which are less than those of round diamonds, and this means they mirror less light. These fancy shaped diamonds have a bowtie effect, for instance, in marquise diamonds, it runs across the center stone, causing blockage of light, and therefore, less sparkle.
Princess Cut Diamonds
A princess cut is second to a round diamond in terms of sparkle and popularity. While they all fall into the brilliant family, a princess cut has a square shape; you'll see an X design when you observe it from the top.
Due to its square shape, a princess-cut stone is cheaper than a round diamond, making it a perfect choice for individuals looking for more affordable and dazzling stones.
How Do You Get the Most Sparkle in a Diamond?
Getting a diamond cut that sparkles does not stop at picking the best shape. You can do various things to maximize your diamond's quality sparkle, including:
- Never skip on a diamond cut grade
- Avoid bezel settings
- Add more diamonds
- Keep your diamonds clean
What Makes a Diamond Sparkle: Clarity or Color?
Light reflections are responsible for a diamond sparkle. The more diamond shapes are able to reflect light, the higher the sparkle level.
To give a diamond cut an excellent opportunity to produce top-notch sparkle, engineers and cutters must cut many facets into the center diamond, and that means color and clarity do not severely affect how a diamond reflects light.
Many facets provide more opportunities and angles for white light to hit the center diamond and reflect back. The reflection of the light is referred to as brilliance, which is the ability to reflect white light. A diamond’s ability to reflect light is what creates less or more intense sparkles.
What is the Difference between Cut and Shape?
In the diamond world, a cut refers to the polish, symmetry, and proportions of a stone. The qualities of polish, symmetry, and promotions determine how a diamond cut sparkles.
On the other hand, the shape is the geometric appearance of a diamond. Round brilliant diamonds provide the best sparkle in any engagement ring.
Grading Diamond Based on the 4Cs
Cut, color, carat weight, and clarity are the 4Cs. Color describes the amount of hue visible in different diamond cuts, including round brilliant diamond cut, emerald cut, and radiant cut. Clarity describes the number of blemishes or inclusions found in all the diamond shapes such as brilliant round cut, pear shape, and emerald cut diamond.
The carat weight allows jewelers and buyers to know the size of a diamond. Using a carat chart, all diamonds are measured in carats of 200 milligrams. Also, knowing the difference between carat weight (CW) and a total carat weight (TW) helps a diamond buyer understand price differences.
A diamond’s cut determines how well its facets interact with white light, and as experts measure facets, they analyze scintillation, fire, and brightness to determine how a diamond cut sparkles.
Other Factors to Consider When Buying a Diamond
Numerous factors determine how a brilliant diamond cut sparkles. Cut quality, depth-to-table ratio, and width-to-length ratio strongly determine the brilliance in a diamond. To get a piece of jewelry with optimal diamond brilliance, you should also consider the following:
- Diamonds that are AGS or GIA certified.
- Prong settings as they maximize the brilliance and sparkle of diamonds.
- The largest amount of facets
Final Thoughts: Which One Should You Choose?
A round brilliant diamond is the brightest shape you can find if you’re looking to enhance the sparkle of your engagement ring. In the early 20th century, a round diamond cut became the most popular diamond shape thanks to its ability to maximize sparkle, providing much-needed brilliance and fire.
Other diamond cuts also offer almost the same sparkle, including radiant cut, pear-shaped diamond, oval cut, marquise cut, and heart cut.
FAQs about Diamond’s Beautiful Sparkles
What is the Most Beautiful Diamond Shape?
Depending on your preferences, the most beautiful diamond shape can be either a round brilliant, cushion cut, princess cut, emerald cut, radiant cut, oval cut, pear cut, marquise cut, or heart cut.
Which Diamond Shape Shines the Brightest?
The diamond shape that shines the brightest is a round, brilliant cut, as it has many facets that reflect much light.
What is the Difference between Diamond Cut and Shape?
A diamond cut includes symmetry, proportions, and polish, while the shape is the geometric appearance.
What Makes a Diamond Sparkle?
Two things enhance the sparkle of a diamond, which include the highest quality cut and color. A D-color diamond offers the greatest sparkle.