You just started engagement ring shopping and are completely awestruck by a beautiful ring and its sparkling, round center stone. Within minutes, your eye catches nearby oval and pear-shaped diamonds that look equally sparkly. But which one has the most sparkle? We’ll break it down for you.

What Makes a Diamond Sparkle?

Before we dive into shapes, it’s important to understand how a diamond is able to reflect white light and different flashes of color, which we generally call “sparkle.” The simple answer is a gem’s cut — the arrangement and proportion of the stone’s flat, polished surfaces (aka facets).

When light enters a diamond, it bounces off of the many surfaces/facets, resulting in beautiful, colorful beams. Facets are positioned differently in each stone, and this ultimately impacts a diamond’s shimmer. Typically, facets reflect light better if they’re closer in size and shape and positioned at more exact angles.

*Pro Tip: You’ll want to keep an eye out for gems that are cut too shallow or too deep, as sparkle might be limited.

Brilliant Cut vs. Step Cut Diamonds

When shopping for an engagement ring, you’ll likely come across two common types of diamond cuts: brilliant and step cut diamonds. This will come in handy when identifying diamond shapes. As the name suggests, brilliant cut stones feature facets that are arranged to enhance the gem’s sparkle. They generally have round or elongated shapes.

On the other hand, step cut diamonds include facets that look like a series of steps! The facets are placed in parallel rows, creating long, clean lines. While sparkle is important for brilliant cut diamonds, clarity is key when choosing step cuts. You’ll typically see step cut stones in rectangular or square shapes.

What Diamond Shape Has the Most Sparkle?

So, which diamond shape is considered the sparkliest? The title goes to round brilliant stones. That’s because they offer nearly 60 facets and plenty of opportunities for light to be reflected back to your eye. This shape is also popular among couples. According to a 2021 jewelry and engagement study conducted by wedding planning website The Knot, more than 40% of pairs chose a round center stone for an engagement ring.

Where do other diamond shapes rank in terms of sparkle? Let’s find out.

Princess: This square shape offers a modern look and sparkles almost as much as round diamonds. It’s also a fashionable choice for engaged couples. The Knot’s 2019 Jewelry & Engagement Study found that roughly 15% of couples picked this shape for a center stone.

Radiant: This newer shape was reportedly designed to blend elements of round and emerald-shaped gems. While it more closely resembles an emerald-shaped diamond, it features 70 facets and therefore displays much more sparkle! A good rule of thumb: More facets will yield more sparkle.

Cushion: Similar to the princess diamond, this is also a square-shaped stone. But this gem features rounded corners that look like a cushion or pillow, hence the name! 

Cushion diamonds twinkle nicely on one’s finger and are more affordable than round brilliant diamonds.

Oval: With 56 facets, this shape is essentially an elongated version of a round diamond and therefore offers a similar level of sparkle. It also creates the appearance of a larger gem and will make your partner’s finger look longer and slimmer.

Pear: This contemporary diamond shape resembles a teardrop. And just like a round brilliant diamond, this stone also boasts nearly 60 facets. But since pear-shaped gems are cut differently than round diamonds, they don’t shine as brightly.

Heart: This shape will tug at your partner’s heartstrings for its significance and sparkle. Heart-shaped gems also have close to 60 facets and are known to glimmer at the right angles.

Marquise: If you need an easy way to remember this shape, it’s basically a pear-shaped stone with a second pointed tip. And given its large surface area, it often looks bigger than its actual size. With more than 50 facets, marquise diamonds display a significant amount of sparkle.

Emerald: This shape is rectangular with trimmed corners, so it essentially looks like a stretched octagon. Its long, large facets appear staggered, creating a “hall-of-mirrors” effect. If you think about all of the diamond shapes in tiers, emerald and asscher shapes would fall to the bottom. These gems are crafted more for clarity than sparkle.

Asscher: You could say this shape is a cousin to emerald-shaped stones. They also offer a hall-of-mirrors effect, but these facets are X-shaped, resembling a unique windmill design.

Have a question? We can help!

Gage Diamonds is Chicago's premier jewelry showroom and online retailer of engagement rings, wedding bands, and fine jewelry. We offer a selection of dazzling handpicked diamonds, including certified natural and lab grown diamonds.

We’re committed to helping you find the ring of your dreams. For inspiration, browse our selection of natural and lab grown diamonds, or set up an appointment with a member of our trusted staff at our in-person showroom.

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