Round Cut Engagement Rings - The King of Diamond Settings

Round Cut Engagement Rings - The King of Diamond Settings



Round Cut Diamonds - The Gateway to Diamond Jewelry


Born in the 1600s, round diamonds have existed in various forms, and continue to serve as the common denominator of the vast majority of modern diamond jewelry. We briefly touched on round cut diamonds in a previous issue, titled Which Diamond Cut Are You Made For?. The round cut diamond accounts for over half of the total diamond sales volume in the U.S. It is also believed that the percentage of diamond engagement rings that contains at least one round cut diamond is close to 80%. In fact, most diamond engagement rings that contain other diamond shapes, also contain round cut diamonds as side stones and accent stones.


Round Cut Engagement Rings As The Foundation


In order to properly discuss round cut engagement rings, it is important to determine what constitutes a round cut engagement ring. Most would agree that a solitaire engagement ring with only one round brilliant, without side stones, can be classified as a round cut engagement ring. But what about a solitaire side stone engagement ring, where the main center stone is a princess cut diamond, while the side stones consist of round cut diamonds? Should this design be referred to as a round cut engagement ring? A princess cut engagement ring? Or perhaps neither? Further, how would you classify a three stone engagement ring, where the main center stone is a pear cut diamond, and the other two accent stones are round brilliant diamonds? Should this setting design be classified as a pear cut engagement ring? A round cut engagement ring? Or also neither?


Round Cut Diamonds vs. Round Cut Engagement Rings


While there is no formal industry definition, to avoid confusing round cut diamonds and round cut engagement rings, the rule of thumb is that a round cut engagement ring must contain round cut diamonds either exclusively, or in a dominant fashion. A three stone diamond setting featuring a princess cut center diamond and two round cut accents, would not be considered a round cut engagement ring because the round cut diamonds do not hold a dominant position, since the main center stone is a princess cut diamond. Similarly, a solitaire side stone engagement ring in which the main center diamond is a princess cut, while the side stones consist of round cut diamonds, would not be called a round cut engagement ring either. Even though this particular setting may contain 15-20 smaller round cut diamonds, the main, larger center stone is a princess cut, which effectively disqualifies this design from being referred to as a round cut engagement ring. Thus, while it is important to recognize the overall dominance of round cut diamonds in engagement rings, only specific designs can actually be called, round cut engagement rings.


Round Cut Dominance in a Three Stone Engagement Ring




To illustrate one of the previous examples, this three stone diamond setting boasts a stunning, one-carat princess cut center diamond. This princess cut center stone represents only one out of a total of 11 diamonds in this engagement ring, as there are eight round cut side stones and two round accent diamonds, at the base of the three larger stones. However, because the main center diamond holds the spotlight in this design, it should be referred to as a three stone engagement ring with a princess cut center, as opposed to a round cut or princess cut engagement ring.


The Brilliance of Round Cut Diamonds in a Pear Shaped Halo Engagement Ring




An even better illustration is this pear cut halo engagement ring, which contains a total of 58 diamonds. Of the 58 total diamonds, the largest, main center stone is a one-carat princess cut. The 57 round cut diamonds, however, play a pivotal role in creating the fire and accentuating the pear shaped center stone. The interesting fact about this design is that it is indeed appropriate to call it a pear-shaped halo engagement ring, since the halo is in fact pear shaped. It would not, however, be appropriate to call this a round cut engagement ring, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the diamonds in the design are in fact round cut, since the pear shaped diamond holds the dominant position.


A True Round Cut Engagement Ring - Uncontested




The essence of round cut diamond engagement rings is they must contain round cut diamonds either exclusively or in a dominating fashion. In this particular case, this incredible infinity halo engagement ring contains a total of 30 diamonds, and all of them are round cut. Interestingly enough, there are two particular round cut accents at the base of the halo. Even if they were replaced by different diamond shapes, this design would remain a round cut engagement ring, since the round diamonds would continue to hold the dominating position.


The Round Cut Diamond Wears Many Hats


The universal nature of the round cut diamond has made it a common denominator among the vast majority of diamond engagement rings in the industry. In some cases, round cut diamonds play a supporting role of accentuating other, main center diamond shapes. In other situations, round cut diamonds are set to accentuate yet another round brilliant diamond. Understanding which diamond shape(s) you are interested in may help create a better engagement ring shopping experience for you. Every diamond is like a soldier in an army, with a defined role, and eager to make its buyer aesthetically complete.