If you’re feeling overwhelmed by engagement ring choices, something starting with the diamond cut can really help guide your journey. Not to be confused with diamond shape, the cut of the stone can influence light behaviour and visual presence, and is important when deciding how you want your ring to sparkle. If you realize you want something more subtle, you may be guided towards step cut, rose cut or old mine cut diamonds. For maximum sparkle, brilliant cut will be your friend.
If these concepts are new to you, this guide to diamond cuts will leave you feeling informed and inspired. It explores the technical details and reflects how we approach these decisions at Alexis Gallery. In our work designing custom engagement rings and wedding rings, shape and cut style work together to determine your ring’s overall personality, which comes through via light return, perceived size, and how a diamond integrates into the surrounding design. After reading this guide, you’ll know everything you need about facets, history and diamond cut options.
Brilliant cut diamonds are a demonstration of modern mathematics. They were fine-tuned in the early 1900s by a consistent 57-58 facet pattern. Brilliant cut diamonds are built around light return and brilliance. Their facet patterns break light into quick flashes that travel across the surface of the stone and help emphasize the diamond’s sparkle. Round brilliant cut diamond define this category, with oval, cushion, pear, and marquise shapes following similar principles. When we design custom engagement rings with brilliant cuts, we maximize sparkle. Whether that’s through a classic solitaire setting or adding brilliant cut accent stones.
Step cut diamonds behave differently. Long, parallel facets (often compared to stairs or steps) create wide reflections that move slowly and deliberately. The most common step cut centre stones are emerald and asscher cut diamonds. These shapes are commonly paired with baguette accent stones, which are a different shape but match the step cut faceting pattern. Because they feature less facets, inclusions can become more visible, therefore these stones ask for careful selection and precise setting. In custom rings, step cuts are great for those wanting a more geometric or art deco look with sharp lines and defined edges.
Mixed cuts sit somewhere in between. Some shapes can benefit from mixing certain faceting patterns to emphasize sparkle, shape or even have a diamond that appears larger than its carat weight.
Mixed cuts are also very common for sapphires and coloured gemstones. This is because the cut priorities shift when colour is involved. Sapphires don’t refract light like a diamond, so often mixing faceting patterns is the best way to enhance sparkle but also ensure a deep rich colour is present.
Antique cuts trace back to a time when the diamond cutting process was shaped by hand and viewed under softer light. In fact, the faceting was mean to maximize sparkle by candlelight.
Old mine and old European cuts show deeper proportions and irregular facet junctions in comparison to modern day cuts. A ‘tell’ for antique cuts is a cut ‘culet’. The tip of a brilliant cut diamond comes to a perfect point, whereas in antique cuts that point is ‘flat’. This results in what looks like a tiny pin hole in the stone.
Clients who are looking for a classic shape like a cushion cut with a subtle, antique charm should consider an antique cut.
Named after their petal-inspired facets, rose cut diamonds are immediately different in profile. With a flat base and faceted dome, they reflect light across the surface instead of dispersing it internally. These stones sit low and feel closely integrated with the setting, making them perfect for people who want a stone to sit flush against their finger.
Rose cut faceting is a popular choice with black, grey or salt and pepper diamonds based on the way they interact with light. They are better at reflecting vs. refracting light – which is just what rose cuts are made for. The sparkle from a rose cut diamond is soft and subtle.
If you’re considering rose cut diamonds, note that they are often larger for their carat weight compared to brilliant or step cuts. This is because the flat bottom distributes the carat weight over the face of the stone, whereas brilliant cuts hold some weight on the pavilion (bottom).
Cabochon cuts are defined by what they do not have: facets. Instead of the geometric planes seen in most diamond cuts, cabochons are polished into a smooth, rounded dome with a flat or slightly curved base. This cutting style focuses on surface glow and colour depth rather than sparkle created through light refraction.
Cabochons are most commonly used for coloured gemstones such as sapphires, opals, turquoise, or moonstone. Certain gems display optical effects that only appear in a smooth dome. Star sapphires, for example, reveal a star-shaped pattern called asterism when cut as a cabochon.
Cabochon stones are less common in in custom engagement rings and modern bridal jewellery.
Regardless of the cut style, all certified diamonds will be graded based on their cut quality. Ranging from Excellent to Poor, the cut quality accounts for the precise angles, symmetry and polish of a diamond. All of which contribute to its sparkle and brilliance.
A diamond’s sparkle is most directly influenced by its facetting pattern ie. cut. It’s something we advise clients on during the custom design process, to ensure their sparkle expectations are matched by their cut preferences. Luckily, there are many options when things are not aligned – if someone loved the shape of an emerald cut but wanted maximum sparkle, a radiant cut may be a better choice. In order of maximum to minimum sparkle: Brilliant cut, antique cut, step cut, rose cut.
Step cuts, commonly shown in emerald and asscher shapes, highlight symmetry and craftsmanship most clearly. Their long facet structures leave little room for visual disguise, making facet alignment, polish quality, and proportion visible from multiple angles.
Facet density plays a role in how internal characteristics appear. Brilliant cuts tend to disperse light in ways that soften the visibility of inclusions. Step cuts display internal features and colour more directly due to their open structure. With their larger facets, rose cuts also show inclusions more noticeably.
Diamond cut is an important part of the bigger picture of your ring. You may not know the terminology, but you understand the feeling you want your diamond to have. We help bridge that gap, and make recommendations that best bring your vision to life. We don’t separate stone selection from design. We look at them together throughout our custom process.
At Alexis Gallery, we design and make custom engagement rings and wedding rings in Toronto. We’re obsessed with quality and creating comfortable, long-lasting designs. If you’re comparing cuts or thinking about a custom piece, contact us! We’re happy to sit down with you. Seeing stones in person and moving them through real light tends to answer questions that photos on Instagram never quite resolve.
