If you are planning to be married and you are a man you had better do your research on diamonds before choosing one for your bride to be. These days there is a large diversity of cuts and numerous styles from which to choose and one must be well versed in not only cut, carats, color and clarity but you also need to know about settings and be aware of some of the newer custom cuts available.



Still the favorite after nearly 400 years is the round brilliant which was one of the first types of cuts created. These days these diamonds are cut using computerized mathematical calculations to give the diamond the greatest possible brilliance and fire for that particular stone. The result is a gem that the early gem cutters would have never been able to create.

Many brides to be are not satisfied with a common cut stone and want something that is more rare. Even so, one can find something that is not so common among some of the other traditional cuts such as heart shaped, ovals, emerald cuts, and pear shapes. Another type that has become very popular is the square princess cut. I personally like the look of this diamond myself.

If money is not an issue you may want to consider one of the patented cuts such as the Lucida from Tiffany or the oval Ahoka diamond which requires a raw stone of over three carats just to be able to make the cut.

Some other popular patented cut diamonds include the Eternal cut from Asprey and Garrard as well as the square cut Elara which features rounded corners and the Asscher which is also square but has rounded facets that make the stone very complex and unusual.

The carat weight of a diamond causes the price to increase dramatically and is a much greater increase than relative to the size comparisons. Because a solid one carat diamond is more rare than ten 10 point diamonds would be it will be far more expensive as will be a two carat in relation to the one carat stone. Of course the weight is just one consideration, but all other things being equal a larger stone will cost a great deal more.

Gemologists also enhance diamond rings by adding small emerald shaped diamonds known as baguettes which are placed on the side of the main stone. Another method is to use triangular shaped diamonds known as trillions which also enhance the beauty of the main stone.