Fancy shapes & cuts

There are countless shapes and faceting techniques designed to highlight your favorite gemstone features in unique and dazzling ways. In this introduction, we’ll go over some of the long-time favorites and newer, fun alternative shapes available in the market today.

In the jewelry industry, any cut other than the standard round brilliant is considered a “Fancy-cut”. Fancy-cut stones have a wide range, from emerald and cushion cuts to unique artisan cuts like this stunning elongated pear-cut tourmaline.

Princess-cut Especially popular over the last 20 years, the princess cut has become a go-to alternative for engagement ring solitaires. Princess cut stones have excellent scintillation and because of the large crown or top surface, they give the appearance of being larger than a round brilliant of the same weight.

Emerald-Cut One of the most popular fancy-cut styles. Emeralds are a type of step cut, characterized by long straight facets along the base and crown. They highlight color and clarity and produce a subtle gleam. Other step cuts include asscher and baguette

Pear-cut Although pear cut has always had a more niche fan base, pears have remained a popular choice for many years. We love using pears for more organic and free-form ring designs because their curved shape emulates natural forms easily.

Marquise-cut Making a comeback over the last few years, marquise-cut stones are long and slender coming to a point at both ends. This shape can help elongate the finger when worn in a ring. Marquises are also a great choice for organic designs as they easily lend themselves to leaf or petal designs.

A note on shape vs. cut It’s important to note that the overall shape of the stone i.e. round, square, or oval, is not the same as the cut. The cut refers to the design and geometry of the facets or flat polished surfaces that reflect light. Both of these stones are rectangular, however, the first is a radiant-cut, designed to optimize scintillation, and the second is an emerald-cut, known for its “halls and mirrors” effect.

Cushion-Cut We love a cushion! As the name suggests, a cushion cut has a square shape but with rounded edges and a softer profile. The sharp corners of a princess cut are more susceptible to breakage making cushions a great alternative for those who like a square look.

Trillion-Cut Trillions are often overlooked but work excellently as accent stones, whether beside a solitaire diamond ring or set in a complex geometric design. Antique trillions were often hand-cut with exact measurements to fit the setting.

Rose-cut A very popular cut found in antique rings, rose-cuts date back to the 16th century. This client reset an heirloom diamond into a new setting that suited her style. Rose cuts have a flat cabbed base and triangular facets that rise to form a shape like a faceted mound.

Modified and artisan cuts With the introduction of gemCAD in the 1980s, lapidary artists had the technology to design new styles and model them before taking the time to cut. The result is hundreds of new and beautiful custom-cut stones, like this stunning alexandrite. It’s polished in a step-cut design but modified for a hexagonal shape.