Wedding rings are very special tokens of an important event in a person's life. Thus choosing a wedding ring is no small matter. Most people today would love to buy diamond wedding rings not only because of the beauty of the diamond but also because of its symbolic meaning as they say that "Diamonds are forever."

With that said, one of the considerations in choosing a diamond wedding ring is the shape of the diamond(s). Diamonds are cut in various ways and this is one of the 4 C's of choosing diamonds - the Cut. The cut of a particular diamond is determined by other qualities of the raw diamond and experts would cut and finish the raw stone in the most optimal way possible. A diamond cutter is trained to divide a raw diamond into the smaller pieces and shape these pieces in such a way as to produce the best brilliance and sparkle.

Here are some of the cuts or shapes of diamonds found in the market today.

  • Round Cut/Brilliant - is the most common cut and said to bring out the best sparkle in a diamond. This cut accounts for about 75% of all diamonds and contains 58 facets.
  • Princess Cut - is the next in popularity. It is square in shape with pointed edges. This cut is often used in solitaire rings.
  • Emerald Cut - is rectangular in shape and often used to emphasize the clarity of a particular stone. Because there are fewer facets, any defects in the diamond can be seen readily and this cut is used only in near perfect stones.
  • Asscher Cut - is an older style cut and is square in shape. Some people call this cut a square emerald.
  • Radiant Cut - is not a common cut but is a unique look that combines the emerald cut with that of the round or brilliant cut.
  • Marquise Cut - is an elongated shape similar to a tear drop except its ends are pointed. It is a cut that looks larger than a round cut diamond having the same carat weight.
  • Heart Shape Cut - often used to symbolize love and is a cut that requires the expertise of a master diamond cutter.

There are other diamond cuts available, some of which may be simpler or more intricate. Choosing the shape of the diamond is a personal decision of the buyer. It all depends on the design of the ring as well as the number of stones used. Where the ring contains a solitaire or a large central stone, emerald cut, marquise, heart shaped diamonds may be used. If the ring is set with several smaller diamonds, the cut used is usually the round brilliant.

To learn more about diamond wedding rings, you might want to visit Diamondandweddingrings. The site features various styles of wedding rings with different diamond cuts.