What shape diamond should I buy?

“I’m shopping for a diamond engagement ring, obviously. Initially I thought I’d keep things simple and just buy a Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, since I’ve read tons of positive reviews about them online. But then I noticed that Brian Gavin offers Signature diamonds in princess cut and cushion cut diamonds as well, and now I’m confused about what shape diamond I should buy. My girlfriend hasn’t expressed an interest in any specific diamond shape and this is a complete surprise. I assume that round diamonds are the most popular shape, how do princess and cushion cut diamonds stack up?“

Which diamond shape is most popular?

According to the Knot 2015 Engagement & Jewelry Study, as reported on by JCK Magazine, 49% of rings purchased feature round brilliant cut center stones, and 22% featured princess cut diamonds, with cushion cut diamonds gaining in popularity. These numbers differ from the sales reported by a popular online retailer, who indicates that 57% of diamonds purchased online are round brilliant cut, 16% are princess cut, and 14% are cushion cut, so it goes with statistics.

Suffice to say that the modern round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular diamond shape by a long shot, and then come princess and cushion cut diamonds, with all other shapes trailing quite a way behind them… Like in the range of being 2-3% of annual sales as reported by Ritani.

Without a doubt, the Brian Gavin Signature round hearts and arrows diamond is the most popular shape purchased by clients of Brian Gavin, and this is why our inventory of BGD Signature round diamonds is so extensive. While the popularity of other diamond shapes has been known to ebb and flow with time, the modern round brilliant cut diamond always seems to be the most popular choice, it is a timeless classic as is the Brian Gavin classic six prong solitaire.

Should you buy a Cushion or Princess cut diamond?

If you like to think outside the box and prefer a less traditional approach, then you certainly should consider a Brian Gavin Signature Cushion or Brian Gavin Signature Princess cut diamond. Both diamond shapes are quite popular with our clients, and have been designed by Brian Gavin to deliver the highest volume of light return and sparkle factor possible from a fancy shape diamond.

And believe me, it’s a challenge to design a fancy shape diamond so that it delivers a volume of light return and sparkle factor that is comparable to a round, because the overall shape of the diamonds is not symmetrical like a round, so it takes careful planning and a great amount of skill to ensure that these diamonds get an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 on the Light Performance grading platform offered by the American Gem Society Laboratory (AGSL).

And yet, Brian Gavin manages to achieve this level of AGS Ideal-0 perfection, time and time again, thereby ensuring our customers of the highest degree of visual performance, regardless of whether they prefer a round brilliant, cushion, or princess cut diamond. Thereby making it possible for our clients not to have to sacrifice light return or incredible sparkle if they prefer the shape of a cushion or princess cut diamond!