Diamond shapes and ring styles
A HANCOCKS diamond is always a high clarity and colour and is only ever set in platinum and 18ct gold. Every single cut of diamond in the HANCOCKS showroom is available in weights 0.25ct to over 4.00ct.
Round Brilliant
This is the most popular and traditional shape for diamond engagement rings. It is cut so that the shape resembles a cone and therefore allows maximum light to shine through the top of diamond, making it sparkle even more.
Princess
The Princess is the second most popular cut of diamond after the Round Brilliant and unlike some square or rectangular cuts, the Princess was designed to get maximum sparkle from a square cut. Created in the 1960s, it’s a relatively new style of diamond and provides a unique and elegant shape for engagement rings.
Emerald
The Emerald cut was originally developed for emeralds and not diamonds, as the name suggests. The method of cropping the corners of a rectangular stone was soon discovered to be suitable for other stones including diamonds. The long lines of the emerald cut give it a vintage and timeless feel.
Marquise
The Marquise diamond was inspired by the fetching smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and commissioned by France’s Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match her smile. It is a striking cut and suits long slender fingers.
Pear
Also called the Teardrop diamond because of its unique shape, it is a combination of the Marquise and Round Brilliant cuts. One of the most asked questions about the Pear shaped diamond ring is “which way round should the point face?” The answer is that there is no standard way to wear it and it is down to personal preference.
Oval
The Oval has a beautiful brilliance similar to the round cut. It is a modern cut and gives great scintillation and fire as it reflects light well. Not a traditional style and still relatively new, the Oval is becoming more popular as people search for classic yet less common shapes.
Heart
The Heart is essentially a Pear shaped diamond with a cleft in the top. It is considered by some to be the most romantic of all diamond cuts. The Heart must be extremely well cut, or it can lose its sparkle.
Asscher
A stepped square cut, the Asscher has cropped corners designed to draw the eye into the diamond. Popular as an art deco engagement ring in 1920s, it is starting to regain popularity and is a celebrity favourite. It is a rare cut of diamond and can still prove difficult to find.
Three Stone
A Three Stone engagement ring represents the past, present and future of a couple's relationship. In most Three Stone engagement rings all three diamonds are fairly close in size, though the central stone may be slightly larger.
Eternity
A symbol of everlasting love, Eternity rings are usually given to celebrate an anniversary or other special occasion such as the birth of a child. The styles do vary but usually an Eternity ring has diamonds all the way round or half way across the face of the band.
