Diamonds always have a special place in people's hearts. They have captured the status of being the most precious of the gems known to mankind. These remarkable stones are presented for various occasions as loose diamonds or they are studded into jewelry. Standing strong as a symbol of love, the diamond is popular in the wedding scenario to create engagement rings, wedding rings, eternity rings and also other pieces of priceless jewelry. These sparkling diamonds create a fire within your soul by just the feel of it on your fingers.

From a rough stone it moves through a magical journey to be a finished creation that would capture customers to own the diamonds right way. The factors that make it a success is the cut and the shape which produces the final impact upon its sparkle and finish. Below you will find details on some of the more common shapes and cuts of this beautiful gem:

Round Diamond This is one of the most popular and expensive diamond shapes, as it offers the most sparkle and fieriness. This is a symmetrical 58 facet cut, and is the only shape that has cut grades that are recognized internationally.

Oval Diamond This diamond has a 57 facet cut, and although it is longer than the perfect round diamond it still has the essentially round shape. Therefore the sparkle and fire of the diamond in an oval cut gem is very similar to that of a round one, although rounds will always boast that little extra when it comes to pure brilliance.

Marquise Diamond This diamond is a 58 facet cut, and is a much sought after diamond shape. It can sometimes have a bowtie effect in the middle of the diamond, which stems from the cut of the stone, but this can be rectified by doubling the facets in the pavilion. Those diamonds with sharp edges and thin points could be more prone to damage.

Pear Diamond This is another 58 facet cut, and like the marquise can be prone to the bowtie effect. Again, doubling the facets in the pavilion can minimize on this. With all diamonds, you can enjoy a fabulous sparkle with the pear shape, but this is noticeably less than with the round and ovals.

Heart Diamond This is a 57 facet cut, with tow symmetrical sides and a cleft in the middle to form the perfect heart shape. You can get heart shaped diamonds that are asymmetrically cut, and these are usually discounted in price heavily.

Princess Diamond The princess is a 76 facet cut, and can be either square or rectangular. Although these stones are able to give off brilliance, they are not particularly fiery due to the thin crown. This is one of the cheapest cuts in terms of manufacturing but this is not always reflected in the retail price of the diamond.

Flanders Diamond The Flanders is a 41 facet cut, and has a square body and angled corners. The brilliance and fire of this shape does not match the perfect round cut, but is better than other non-round cuts. If you want a cut that offers brilliance and fire without paying the price of a perfect round, this could be your next choice.

Emerald Diamond This is a 50-58 facet cut, and is the least sparkly of the diamonds. This is because the cut of the stone means that the facets are elongated and in rows, and with this cut, color variations and imperfections can be more easily spotted even by the untrained eye.