Straight answers
What each diamond shape actually looks like, in millimetres
Almost everyone chooses by carat, and carat is the least useful number on the certificate when it comes to how big a ring looks. Two one-carat stones can measure very differently across the finger. Here are the real sizes we make, and what each one does for your money.
At one carat, what each shape actually measures
This is the table nobody shows you. Same weight on every row — the measurement is across the face of the stone. Where a shape is cut to a slightly different weight to land on a size, the real weight is in brackets:
| Stone | Size at about 1 carat |
|---|---|
| Round | 6.5 mm across (1.00 ct) |
| Oval | 8 × 6 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Cushion | 6 × 6 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Square | 6 × 6 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Asscher | 6 × 6 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Heart | 6 × 6 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Pear | 8 × 5 mm (1.00 ct) |
| Emerald cut | 7 × 5 mm (0.96 ct) |
| Marquise | 9 × 4.5 mm (0.91 ct) |
| Elongated cushion | 7 × 5 mm (0.88 ct) |
Every size we cut, for every shape
The full list, so you can find the size you want and the weight it comes at rather than guessing. This is our own catalogue, not an industry average:
| Stone | The sizes we make, and the weight of each |
|---|---|
| Round | 0.8 ct — 6 mm · 1 ct — 6.5 mm · 1.25 ct — 7 mm · 1.5 ct — 7.4 mm · 2 ct — 8 mm · 2.5 ct — 8.8 mm · 3 ct — 9.4 mm |
| Oval | 0.51 ct — 6.5 × 4.5 · 0.68 ct — 7 × 5 · 0.88 ct — 7.5 × 5.5 · 1 ct — 8 × 6 · 1.5 ct — 8.5 × 6.5 · 1.75 ct — 9 × 7 · 2.5 ct — 10 × 8 |
| Cushion | 0.63 ct — 5 × 5 · 0.83 ct — 5.5 × 5.5 · 1 ct — 6 × 6 · 1.25 ct — 6.5 × 6.5 · 1.75 ct — 7 × 7 · 2 ct — 7.5 × 7.5 |
| Emerald cut | 0.53 ct — 6 × 4 · 0.72 ct — 6.5 × 4.5 · 0.96 ct — 7 × 5 · 1.25 ct — 7.5 × 5.5 · 1.5 ct — 8 × 6 · 2 ct — 8.5 × 6.5 · 2.5 ct — 9 × 7 |
| Pear | 0.48 ct — 6 × 4 · 0.88 ct — 7 × 5 · 1 ct — 8 × 5 · 1.25 ct — 9 × 5.5 · 1.5 ct — 10.5 × 5.5 · 1.75 ct — 10 × 6 · 2.5 ct — 10 × 7 |
| Marquise | 0.43 ct — 7 × 3.5 · 0.91 ct — 9 × 4.5 · 1.25 ct — 10 × 5 · 1.5 ct — 10.5 × 5.5 · 1.75 ct — 11 × 5.5 · 2.25 ct — 12 × 6 |
| Square | 0.46 ct — 4.5 × 4.5 · 0.83 ct — 5.5 × 5.5 · 1 ct — 6 × 6 · 1.25 ct — 6.5 × 6.5 · 1.75 ct — 7 × 7 · 2 ct — 7.5 × 7.5 |
| Asscher | 0.63 ct — 5 × 5 · 0.83 ct — 5.5 × 5.5 · 1 ct — 6 × 6 · 1.75 ct — 7 × 7 · 2.5 ct — 8 × 8 |
| Heart | 0.63 ct — 5 × 5 · 0.83 ct — 5.5 × 5.5 · 1 ct — 6 × 6 · 1.75 ct — 7 × 7 |
| Elongated cushion | 0.48 ct — 6 × 4 · 0.88 ct — 7 × 5 · 1.25 ct — 7.5 × 5.5 · 1.5 ct — 8 × 6 · 2.25 ct — 9 × 7 |
So an oval gives you more ring than a round
Put the first two rows side by side. At one carat, a round is 6.5 mm across. An oval at the same one carat is 8 × 6 mm — longer, and the same width, which is why an oval reads as a bigger stone on the same finger for the same money.
This is the whole reason ovals went from a niche choice to the most requested fancy shape. It is not a trick and nothing is being faked: it is a stone of the same weight arranged differently, and you are simply using more of it across the finger.
The marquise goes further again — 9 × 4.5 mm at 0.91 of a carat — but it does it by being narrow and long rather than big. It looks like more ring because it stretches along the finger, not because it covers more of it.
The shape does not change the price here
Most jewellers charge more for a fancy shape, because they buy the stone already cut. We do not, and it would be dishonest of us to pretend otherwise: an oval, a cushion and a round of the same weight and metal cost the same from us. What actually moves the price is the metal and the weight, so here is where the money is:
| At 1 carat, in 14K gold | Price |
|---|---|
| Thin band | $1,180 |
| Regular band | $1,380 |
| Thick band | $1,620 |
| Extra-thick band | $1,920 |
| Band with diamonds set into the shoulders | $1,610 |
What the weight does to the price
| 14K gold, regular band | Price |
|---|---|
| 0.88 ct | $1,340 |
| 1 ct | $1,380 |
| 1.5 ct | $1,530 |
| 2 ct | $1,700 |
| 3 ct | $2,020 |
Choosing by the hand, not the chart
- Long fingers: almost anything works on you, and a marquise or an oval is the shape that uses the length rather than fighting it.
- Shorter fingers: a marquise or an oval worn the length of the finger lengthens it, which is why both are so common on smaller hands. A wide square stone across the finger does the opposite.
- Wider fingers: a wider stone sits better than a narrow one that disappears. A cushion, a square or an emerald cut with some width reads properly.
- Practical hands: if she works with her hands, a lower-set round or cushion catches far less than anything with a high profile or a point on it.
The honest wear notes
- A round hides a lower clarity best. Its many small facets scatter light and break up anything to see. This is not a quality claim, it is geometry, and it is why rounds forgive a grade that a step cut will not.
- An emerald cut shows everything. Big flat facets and long straight lines mean the eye sees straight through the stone, so a lower clarity is visible in one. Expect to buy a slightly better grade to get the same effect.
- Points are where damage starts. A marquise and a pear both have thin ends, and a thin end is the one part of a ring that chips. That is why they are set with a prong protecting each point, and why we would rather set them a little lower.
- Nothing here is fragile. Diamond is the hardest thing you will ever own and all of these shapes are worn daily by thousands of people. The notes above are about where a jeweller would spend your money, not about breakage.
What happens when you ask
Build the ring with the shape you are considering and watch the price move, or send us a photo of something you saw. You get a CAD drawing of your ring and an exact price within 48 hours, free, and there is nothing to pay until you approve it.
If you are torn between two shapes, say so and we will quote both and send both drawings. It costs nothing and it is a far better way to decide than looking at photographs on a screen.
Questions people actually ask
Which diamond shape looks biggest?
Per carat, a marquise and a pear cover the most length, and an oval covers the most face overall, at one carat an oval measures 8 by 6 mm against 6.5 mm across for a round. A round is the smallest for its weight of the shapes we make.
Does a fancy shape cost more?
Not from us. An oval, a cushion, a pear and a round of the same weight and metal are the same price here. What moves the price is the metal and the carat.
Which shape is best for a ring worn every day?
A round or a cushion set low. They have no points, and a round's many small facets hide wear and a lower clarity better than any other cut. Anything with a point, marquise, pear, heart, is set with a prong protecting the tip, and still catches more.
Can I see two shapes before deciding?
Yes, and it is the best way to decide. Tell us the two you are considering and we will send a CAD drawing and an exact price for each, free, within 48 hours.
Is a bigger carat worth it, or a better cut?
Almost always the better cut and colour, because the difference is visible on the hand and the difference in weight often is not. Ask us and we will tell you straight for the budget you have.
Free to ask. A drawing and an exact price in 48 hours, before you commit to anything.