How to Choose Between Pear, Emerald, Radiant, and Marquise Diamonds

You have made up your mind to go for a fancy diamond shape something other than a round brilliant diamond and more individualistic.

Now, you are trying to choose between four of the most popular ones: pear, emerald, radiant, and marquise. While all of them may seem gorgeous in photographs, each one of them has a completely different kind of charm and appeal.

This article is here to offer you the information needed to compare all four types of fancy shapes and see which diamond will suit you better based on what it has to offer you.

Why lab-grown diamonds are making these fancy diamond shapes even more desirable to you will be discussed as well.

What Makes a Diamond Shape a “Shape”

Shape refers to the outline or silhouette of the diamond’s face-up profile. This is distinct from cut quality, which is all about the light performance properties of a diamond.

These four shapes in this guide can be broken down into two categories with respect to faceting style:

Brilliant Faceting

Brilliant faceting involves many facets at specific angles to create fire and sparkle. These shapes include pear and marquise cuts, while the radiant cut combines aspects of brilliant and step cutting.

Step Faceting

Step faceting involves long parallel facets to produce a ‘hall of mirrors’ effect and larger light flashes. Emerald is the most typical example of a step cut shape.

And now for comparing those four shapes.

The Pear Diamond: Romantic, Dramatic, and Distinctive

The pear-shaped diamond has a rounded top and a sharp bottom end, forming its characteristic teardrop design. The stone is cut in the brilliant style, making the pear-shaped diamond highly sparkly.

Pear Diamond Features That Make Them Special

Versatility in setting: You may position the diamond either with the point facing the finger or away from it, and use the east-west diamond setting.

Large face-up size: Pear diamonds are characterized by large surface areas, allowing them to appear bigger than round diamonds of the same carat weight.

Lengthening effect: The sharp design helps elongate the fingers.

High fire: The brillianteering cut makes pear diamonds very sparkly as opposed to step-cuts like the emerald cut.

Things To Consider About Pear Diamonds

Bowtie effect: The pear diamond might have a dark bowtie-like pattern across the middle part of the diamond. Check a video or 360-degree image of the diamond to see how it behaves from different angles.

Symmetry: Pay attention to the symmetrical shape and equally proportioned sides. An asymmetrically cut diamond might look irregular.

Point safety: The sharp tip requires protection. Consider using the V-shaped prong or the bezel setting.

Who Is the Pear Cut Right for?

The Pear cut may be perfect for those who want a:

• Romantic yet unique style
• Diamond cut that is elongated in shape
• High degree of brilliance
• Variety of ways to wear the diamond
• Diamond that will look bigger than its actual carat size
• Why Go with Lab Grown Pear Diamonds?
• Pear shaped earrings and pendants
  

With lab grown diamonds, it becomes easier to experiment with a larger sized Pear or high quality grade in a limited budget. This is because Pear shaped diamonds always appear larger anyway.

The Emerald Diamond: Architectural, Elegant, and Confident

The emerald diamond refers to a rectangular step cut diamond with trimmed corners. Because of its elongated facets, it gives that unique hall of mirrors effect – broader flashes of light instead of brilliance.

What Makes Emerald Unique

Hall of mirrors: This diamond reflects long flashes of white light as opposed to the scattered brilliance of other diamonds.

Architectural design: The unique geometric cut of the emerald diamond is unique in its elegance. If you prefer sophistication over brilliance, this diamond is for you.

Large look: The diamond has an expansive face-up diameter making it look large despite its small carat weight.

Watch Out For

Clarity: Due to the open-faced cut, inclusions may be more noticeable. Study the particular diamond thoroughly; VS1-VS2 can be a decent starting point.

Color: The step-cut will also highlight the warmth better than a brilliant cut will. G or above may be a good option for white gold or platinum, but remember to evaluate each particular diamond individually.

Ratio of Length to Width: 1.30-1.50 provides a typical elongated look, while low ratios will create a look that is wider and more rectangular. Pick your own proportion preference.

What Type of Person Would Benefit From Emerald Cut?

Emerald is perfect for you if you:

• Like geometric designs
• Would like a diamond that looks unique compared to the round one
• Like broad light play rather than sparkling
• Find elegance and sophistication in jewelry
• Ready to pay extra attention to the clarity and color
• Why Should You Choose Lab-Grown Emerald Diamond?
  

Due to lab-grown diamonds, high clarity and color grades become more affordable for many people. This can be very helpful for emerald cut diamonds where picking up a nice-looking stone is a key factor of purchase.

The Radiant Cut Diamond: Optimum Brilliance in a Contemporary Cut

Radiant-cut diamonds are rectangular or square diamonds that feature faceting similar to the brilliant cuts. It retains the geometric pattern of the emerald cut but offers superior brilliance.

Distinctive Features of Radiant Diamonds

Brilliant shine: If you are looking for the brilliance of the round cut but a rectangular shape, the radiant is a perfect option. It features a bright pattern of light, in contrast to emerald, which features large reflective surfaces.

Contemporary look: This diamond cut strikes a balance between the timeless round shape and understated emerald cut. It is modern but not too unusual.

Tolerant appearance: Thanks to brilliant faceting, radiant can hide inclusions and slight color imperfections.

What to Look Out For

Length-to-width ratio: Radiants vary between square and elongated shapes. A ratio between 1.20 and 1.35 gives an aesthetically pleasing rectangle look, while ratios close to 1.0 give a more squared appearance.

Facet pattern: There is the option of the crushed ice facet look with many smaller flashes of light and bigger, chunky facets. Both are not wrong – just watch the diamond video and choose according to your preference.

Light performance: Photos do not reflect the light performance of the diamonds accurately, and sometimes there is a difference in performance between diamonds that look identical on photos. Make sure to compare diamonds' videos before buying.

Who Is the Radiant Cut Made For

If you…

• Want maximum sparkle but not the round
• Have a love for rectangular or squared diamonds
• Enjoy a contemporary shape
• Prefer flexibility with color and clarity
• Want a unique diamond shape for a solitaire engagement ring or a jewelry stack
• Why Opt for a Lab-Grown Radiant Cut Diamond?
  

As the radiant cut diamonds offer a combination of a modern diamond shape with good light performance, the larger diamonds and higher specifications of lab-grown diamonds can provide more dramatic results.

The Marquise Diamond: Elongated, Daring, and Show-Stopping

The marquise cut diamond is distinguished by its elongated shape and its pointed tips. It features brilliant faceting to create lots of sparkle and an incredibly distinctive silhouette.

Why Marquise Is Unique

Elongation: The elongated form of this diamond can be flattering and give the appearance of longer and thinner fingers.

Looks larger: As with pear cut diamonds, the spread of the marquise cut means it will often look larger than a diamond that is round and of equal weight.

Daring personality: The marquise cut has been described as the most daring of the fancy shapes for people looking to go bold.

Lots of sparkle: Despite being a fancy shape, brilliant faceting means lots of sparkle.

Key Issues To Consider

Bow tie effect: Marquise diamonds may display a black bow tie that runs across the middle of the stone. See how pronounced it is on a 360-degree video of the particular stone.

Tips protection: The two ends of the shape are vulnerable to breaking off. V-shaped prongs and bezeled protection can protect the tips.

Shape Orientation: North-south orientation will emphasize the elongating effect, while the east-west orientation makes the cut more modern and graphic.

Length-to-width ratio: 1.75 – 2.15 produces the classic elongated look of marquise. Smaller ratios make it look fuller, while bigger ratios make it more dramatic.

What the Marquise Cut Is Best For

If you want:

• Maximum elongation of your finger
• Distinctive and bold jewelry
• Strong sparkle effect
• Big face-up appearance of the stone
• Something unusual compared to round or oval cuts
• To experiment with various orientations.
  

Why Choose Lab-Grown Marquise Diamonds?

Thanks to lab-grown diamonds, you'll be able to explore the possibilities of creating much larger marquises and better quality stones without spending too much money. This makes the choice of lab-grown marquise even more dramatic thanks to its inherent large size effect.

Three Questions to Help You Find Your Perfect Diamond Shape

Uncertain? Try asking yourself these three questions:

1. Sparkle for Impact or Architectural Style for Understated Elegance?

Max impact: Pear, radiant, or marquise
Architectural style: Emerald

 2. How Much Importance do You Place on Finger Elongation?

Max finger elongation: Marquise
Good finger elongation and styling versatility: Pear
Not much importance: Radiant or emerald

 3. VS1 or VS2 Clarity – What Are Your Options?

VS1 or better clarity: All four are options, including emerald.
VS2 or SI1: Consider brilliant cuts like pear, radiant, and marquise.

If one shape is clearly what you're looking for, you're done! If two are equally attractive, take a look at the real diamonds' videos and decide which one suits you better.

Why the Lab-Grown Diamonds are Helpful in Creating Fancy Cuts?

There are three major benefits from using lab-grown diamonds with fancy cuts:

1. Increased Shape and Size Variability

The process of lab growth can provide consumers with more variety of shapes, sizes and other characteristics, which will make it easier to find such characteristics as a certain pear proportion, or length-to-width ratio for a radiant cut.

 2. The Ability to Get More Clarity

High clarity can be a good choice for emerald cuts as their open structure with step cut may make inclusions more visible. In such a way, the use of lab-grown diamonds can allow the buyer to have more variability while considering VS1 and VVS2 grades.

3. Greater Face-Up Presence for Your Budget

A lot of exotic diamond cuts are greater face-up in size than the round cuts of the same carat weight. And taking into account the relatively low cost of man-made diamonds, one can enjoy greater freedom when selecting stones of a certain face-up size.

If you want an exotic diamond cut, lab-grown diamonds will help you in that endeavor.

The Best Shape is the One That Fits You

Four Shapes. Four Unique Personalities. All four provide something different in terms of sparkle, elongation, purity and style.

Pear: Elegant and versatile with a beautiful elongated shape and an impressive visual effect.

Emerald: Sleek and classic, with sharp lines and dazzling play of lights.

Radiant: A modern shape for those looking for sparkle in a rectangle.

Marquise: Dramatic and bold, with beautiful elongation and unique shape.

None of these shapes is universally better than another. The best one will depend on your personal preferences, priorities and budget.

With lab grown diamond certification, all four shapes become available to you with more flexibility when it comes to size and quality.

Go for the shape that feels like you. The rest follows.

Common Fancy Shape Diamond Buying Mistakes

Don’t make these mistakes when purchasing your fancy shape diamond.

Buying Without Seeing the Sparkle

Not all still pictures provide a true sense of the diamond’s performance. Be sure to watch the video or 360° view under different lights for the sparkle and the potential bow tie.

Ignoring Clarity With Emerald Shapes

Emerald shape diamonds are known to have very open facets, which makes any inclusions more visible. SI1 diamond which is clear in a round may not be as clear in an emerald shape.

Not Looking at the Bowtie Effect

Bow tie effect can be easily spotted on pear and marquise shapes. You should check the individual diamond in the video.

Judging the L/W Ratio Based on Numbers

L/W Ratio does not tell the whole story. Comparing the actual diamond’s profile and proportions rather than looking at the specification sheet is key.

 Forgetting About the Tip Protection

Pear and Marquise shapes have fragile tips. Make sure to select a setting with proper V-prongs or bezel protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which diamond shape makes fingers look longest?

Elongated shapes such as oval, marquise, pear, and elongated emerald cuts can make fingers appear longer and slimmer.

Q2: Which fancy diamond shape has the most sparkle?

Radiant and elongated cushion cuts can offer strong sparkle among fancy shapes, while oval and pear cuts can also have impressive brilliance.

Q3: Why does the emerald cut need higher clarity than other shapes?

Emerald cuts have large, open step facets that make inclusions easier to see.

Q4: Is the marquise diamond too old-fashioned?

No, marquise diamonds have a distinctive vintage-inspired shape that can also look modern and elegant.

Q5: What is the bowtie effect in pear and marquise diamonds?

The bowtie effect is a darker area across the center of a pear or marquise diamond caused by the way light travels through its facets.