Diamonds are hot favorites all over the world not only 
because of their dazzling beauty, but also because they are 
so versatile; they look good on anyone and match everything. 
Diamonds come in many styles and varieties, called cuts. The 
value of a diamond in terms of price and popularity depends 
on the various cuts. The more popular cuts are more 
expensive than the less popular cuts. This is because the 
cut of the diamond enhances its beauty. So, you can see two 
diamonds of equal weight but cut differently with a price 
difference of hundreds of dollars. 

The most popular cut in diamonds is the round cut. When 
diamonds are cut to look like circles they sparkle brightly. 
A round brilliant cut is one of the most expensive cuts of 
diamond. Round cut diamonds are very popular on engagement 
rings because they look beautiful as part of a multi-stone 
ring or as a solitaire. The round cut diamond looks nice on 
practically any hand. 

The princess cut is of marginal popularity. It looks good as 
a solitaire or in a three-stone setting with smaller 
princess cut diamonds on either side of a large diamond. A 
princess cut looks like a square and can be faceted to 
sparkle. Rings made with princess cut diamonds tend to make 
fingers look shorter and stubbier, so they are not the right 
choice for those with already short fingers. Those with long 
fingers can wear a princess cut without any hesitation 
whatsoever. 

One of the least expensive of cuts for diamonds is the 
emerald cut. It costs a lot less than a round brilliant 
diamond. Emerald cut looks like a rectangle, and is cut to 
appear layered. It gets its name because this is the way 
emeralds have always been cut. The emerald, being softer 
than the diamond, often got fractured in the process of 
cutting. Then the experts discovered that the emerald could 
be cut in a special way to preserve its integrity. This gave 
emeralds more life, and it became fashionable to wear 
emeralds. Soon it was discovered that diamonds could also be 
cut in this fashion, and the cut was called the emrald cut. 

Diamonds with a marquis cut look like thin ovals with 
pointed ends. This cut makes the fingers look longer and 
adds elegance to any hand. This cut is already more popular 
than the emerald cut. It is usually worn as a solitaire or 
as the center of a multi-stone ring. However, if all the 
stones are not marquis cut, a multi-stone ring with 
something else as the center looks odd with marquis side 
stones. 

There are other styles of diamonds also such as baguette and 
pave, which are mainly used for side stones to provide 
accents. Once you know what type of cut you like, and what 
enhances the beauty of your hand, you can get a ring set 
with your favorite cut diamonds. 

Amanti Leddar is the owner of 
A Guide To Diamonds, Inc. 
which is a comprehensive site containing 
replies to queries and content related 
to diamonds. For more details, go to: 
http://www.rjmdiamonds.com