Lab Grown Diamond Shapes
Shop QSE makes lab grown diamonds in eleven shapes. Round is the most made at 37 live designs, then pear at 35, oval at 31, marquise at 25, princess at 18, heart at 15, baguette at 14, asscher at 13, cushion at 11, and emerald and radiant at 7 each. Every stone is IGI certified at E-F color and VS1-VS2 clarity whatever the shape.
Shape changes three things that matter: how large the stone looks for its carat weight, how much it sparkles, and what it costs. Round is the brightest and the most expensive per carat. The elongated shapes look biggest. The step cuts show the stone itself rather than flashing light back at you.
The eleven shapes, and what each one is for
| Shape | Live designs | Family | Looks | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round brilliant | 37 | Brilliant | The most light return of any shape | Maximum sparkle, and the safest choice when buying for someone else |
| Pear | 35 | Brilliant | Elongated, pointed at one end | Looking larger than its carat weight; drop earrings and pendants |
| Oval | 31 | Brilliant | Elongated and rounded | Reading larger than a round of the same weight while keeping the sparkle |
| Marquise | 25 | Brilliant | Elongated, pointed at both ends | The largest apparent size per carat of any shape we make |
| Princess | 18 | Brilliant | Square with sharp corners | A geometric look with brilliant-cut sparkle |
| Heart | 15 | Brilliant | Unmistakably a heart at 0.50ct and above | Pendants, where the shape reads clearly |
| Baguette | 14 | Step | A long, narrow rectangle with stepped facets | Accent stones and band rings rather than a center stone |
| Asscher | 13 | Step | Square with cropped corners and concentric steps | An architectural, vintage look |
| Cushion | 11 | Brilliant | Square-to-rectangular with rounded corners | Softer than a princess, nearly as bright as a round |
| Emerald | 7 | Step | Rectangular with stepped facets and a glassy, open table | Showing clarity rather than sparkle |
| Radiant | 7 | Brilliant | Emerald outline with brilliant faceting | The emerald silhouette with far more fire |
Brilliant cuts against step cuts
This is the distinction that actually decides what you will like, and almost no one is told it.
Brilliant cuts — round, oval, pear, marquise, princess, cushion, radiant, heart — have dozens of small triangular and kite-shaped facets arranged to bounce light straight back at the viewer. They scintillate. They also hide small inclusions well, because the flashing disguises them.
Step cuts — emerald, asscher, baguette — have long flat facets arranged in parallel steps, like a staircase seen from above. Instead of sparkle you get broad flashes of white light and a view straight down into the stone. They look calmer and more architectural, and they hide nothing: an inclusion in an emerald cut is visible in a way the same inclusion in a round would not be.
That is why our step cuts matter less in grade terms than you might fear. Every Shop QSE diamond is VS1-VS2 clarity, which is a grade band where inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye even in an open step cut. If you want an emerald or asscher cut from any seller, clarity is the grade to hold firm on.
Which shape looks biggest for the money?
The elongated shapes, because carat is a measure of weight rather than size, and a stone stretched along one axis shows more surface area from above for the same weight. In rough order, from largest apparent size per carat to smallest: marquise, pear, oval, emerald, radiant, princess, cushion, asscher, heart, round.
Round is last on that list and first on price per carat, which is worth saying plainly. Round brilliant is the most expensive shape per carat for two reasons: cutting a round wastes more of the original crystal than any other shape, and demand for it exceeds every other shape combined. If budget is the constraint and size is the goal, an oval or a pear is the direct answer.
Which shapes we make in what
Shape availability is not uniform across the range, so it is worth checking before you settle on one.
| Piece | Shapes available |
|---|---|
| Earrings | Round, pear, princess, oval, marquise, cushion, radiant, heart, emerald, asscher |
| Rings | Round, pear, oval, marquise, baguette, asscher, cushion, princess, heart, radiant |
| Pendants | Round, heart, pear, oval, princess, emerald, asscher |
| Bracelets | Round, with pear and princess on selected designs |
The honest disadvantages, shape by shape
- Marquise and pear have points, and points are the most vulnerable part of any diamond. Both want a setting with a prong covering the tip. Worth knowing before choosing one for a ring worn every day.
- Oval, marquise and pear can show a bow-tie — a dark band across the middle where light is not returning. It varies stone to stone and is a cutting matter, not a grading one, so it will not appear on the certificate.
- Emerald and asscher show inclusions and body color more than any brilliant cut. At our E-F and VS1-VS2 grades that is not a practical problem, but at lower grades it is the usual reason a step cut disappoints.
- Princess has four sharp corners, which are the points most likely to chip.
- Heart below about 0.50 carat stops reading as a heart and starts reading as a slightly odd round.
What shape does not change
Hardness and durability of the material itself. Every lab grown diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale regardless of how it is cut, and every Shop QSE stone is IGI certified at E-F color and VS1-VS2 clarity in solid 14K or 18K gold. Shape changes the look and the price, not what the stone is. Our guide to whether lab grown diamonds are real diamonds covers the material in full, and what IGI certification means explains how to read the report that comes with the stone.
Common questions
What diamond shapes does Shop QSE make?
Eleven: round, pear, oval, marquise, princess, heart, baguette, asscher, cushion, emerald and radiant. Round is the most made at 37 live designs, followed by pear at 35 and oval at 31.
Which diamond shape looks the biggest?
Marquise, then pear and oval. Carat measures weight, not size, so a stone elongated along one axis shows more surface area from above at the same weight. Round looks the smallest per carat and costs the most per carat.
Which diamond shape sparkles the most?
Round brilliant. Its facet pattern is arranged to return more light to the viewer than any other shape. Oval, cushion and radiant are the next brightest.
What is the difference between a brilliant cut and a step cut?
Brilliant cuts — round, oval, pear, marquise, princess, cushion, radiant, heart — use dozens of small facets to scatter light back at you, so they sparkle. Step cuts — emerald, asscher, baguette — use long parallel facets that give broad flashes and a clear view into the stone, so they look calmer and hide inclusions less well.
Why is a round diamond more expensive?
Cutting a round wastes more of the original crystal than any other shape, and demand for round exceeds all other shapes combined. Both push the price per carat up.
Which diamond shape is most durable?
Shapes without points. Round, oval, cushion and emerald have no sharp tips, while marquise and pear have points and princess has four sharp corners, all of which want a setting that covers them. The material is equally hard in every shape, at 10 on the Mohs scale.
What is a bow-tie in a diamond?
A dark band across the middle of an elongated stone where light is not being returned. It appears most in oval, marquise and pear cuts, varies from stone to stone, and is a result of how the stone was cut rather than anything that appears on the grading certificate.
Which shape should I choose for an emerald or asscher cut?
Hold firm on clarity. Step cuts show inclusions in a way brilliant cuts do not, which is why our VS1-VS2 grade band matters more on an emerald or asscher than on a round.