Round brilliant cut diamonds are a classic and timeless shape, known to be set in engagement rings, pendants, and earrings and other jewellery.
The circular shape of a round cut diamond is very versatile, as it is well-suited for various ring settings, as well as finger sizes. As there is an increased demand for round brilliant cut diamonds, finding the right one is key so that it displays its signature sparkle. Discover more about the things that you need to look out for when you’re choosing a round diamond.
Look Out for that Signature Brilliance
One of the most important things to think about when buying any round diamond jewellery is ensuring that the stone displays plenty of fire and brilliance, this is what we know to be the diamond's sparkle.
If you are viewing a round brilliant cut diamond, you should ensure the stone is firstly displaying plenty of white light as you move it slightly from side to side. It can help to view the diamond under diffused lighting to help you identify whether it’s an excellent cut or poorly cut diamond compared with the bright lights you can get in jewellers, check the diamond in both lighting to see if there are any changes.
When it comes to how a round diamond displays fire, look closely for flashes of spectral colours which include orange, yellow, red, or blue as you tilt the ring up and down. You want to make sure that the diamond you’re looking at is clearly displaying these colours as this shows the diamond has great light dispersion and is another sign of a higher quality cut, such as an Excellent Cut.
We recommend visiting our Golden Square showroom in the Jewellery Quarter in-person to view our diamonds and our sales consultants can show and explain about the brilliance and fire of our round diamonds. It will allow you to see how the stone flashes with our store’s lighting ensuring you have the right round diamond to go with your piece of jewellery.
The Prong Setting Works Well with Round Diamonds
There are many ring settings you can choose for a round brilliant cut diamond, the prong or claw setting is the most popular choice and one you will see in most jewellers when requesting to see a round brilliant cut diamond ring.
The prong or claw setting ring styles consist of the round brilliant cut diamond being set into a four claw or six claw setting (this is what holds the diamond into the ring) the prongs or claws then wrap around the top of your centre stone to secure it in place. It's one of the best settings for a round cut as they don’t cover as much of the diamond's surface or side view. Thus enhancing the diamond's light which will help it sparkle from its brilliance.
A prong setting makes it easy to clean your engagement ring from home, particularly if your stone starts to lose its sparkle over time and begins to appear foggy, its usually due to a build up of daily products such as hand soap, moisturiser which can coat the diamond and make it appear misty and dull. A light clean with a jewellers recommended cleaner or fairy liquid in warm water can help remove this excess daily build up and help show the diamonds sparkle again. Other settings can make it much harder to clean and get to the side of the diamond when you get daily build up of product.
While the four-prong setting is a classic, popular setting for round diamonds, a six-prong setting helps keep the diamond's rounded shape compared with the four claw setting which can make the round diamond appear like it has corners and can appear more square shaped. The six-prong setting provides additional protection to the diamond and is more advisable on bigger carat weights in round brilliant cut stones. It’s dependent on what setting best suits your needs and whether you want a classic or timeless look with your round diamond engagement ring.
Lab Grown or Natural?
Selecting whether you want a lab grown or a natural round cut diamond is down to your personal preference.
Do you want a round brilliant cut diamond that’s unique, made by the earth and is one of the oldest minerals on the planet? Or a round brilliant cut diamond that’s ethical, leaving the earth untouched through more sustainable resources which is also more affordable? There is little-to-no difference in the appearance or chemical composition of a lab-created or natural mined diamond, you will see the biggest difference is in how they’re produced, by the earth or man-made in a laboratory. If you are unsure of which stone you want, our diamond consultants can assist you with this process and all the price differences between the two options.
They’ll be able to take you through the characteristics of our lab and natural round cut diamond jewellery. Having this insight can help you make an informed decision on which type of round diamond you want to have with your ring or pendant.
Consider the Cut Grade of Your Round Diamond
Understanding the diamond's cut grade is very important with a round diamond as it will play a crucial role in the sparkle and brilliance of your diamond. You will hear of the phrase ‘Round Brilliant cut’ which refers to the 57-58 facets a round diamond should have to give it the title ‘Round Brilliant’. The higher the cut grade the more your round diamond will sparkle. Look for the title Excellent Cut which always guarantees a beautiful sparkle.
Round brilliant cut diamonds have an extra cut grade making a total of three grades to assess it’s proportions to reflect the light as an industry standard grading system. The GIA guide to round cut diamonds explains some of the things to take into consideration, which includes:
The diamond’s appearance, based on its scintillation, fire and brilliance.
How the diamond is proportioned.
The symmetry, design, craftsmanship and polish of the diamond’s facets.
At Diamond Quarter, we hand select the best GIA round cut diamonds when shopping world-wide to make sure all our round brilliant cut diamonds have the higher cut grades with a huge range of Excellent cut diamonds that will sparkle beautifully every time your loved one is showing their friends and family. All our diamonds come independently certified with certification companies such as GIA and IGI. At Diamond Quarter you can shop at your own pace and peace of mind, knowing that you are getting a high-quality, certified, round brilliant cut diamond set in a beautiful setting of your own choice that reflects your partner's taste and style.
Dazzle Your Special Someone with a Round Diamond from Diamond Quarter
Round Diamonds remain the most popular choice for an engagement ring and many timeless jewellery pieces that will be cherished and passed down the family line for generations. You can always rest assured when you purchase a round brilliant cut diamond jewellery piece as that special anniversary or big birthday gift or the engagement ring that you know they will love and treasure for years to come.
Whether you are getting engaged or treating someone you love, we’ll make sure you have the perfect round cut diamond jewellery piece for any occasion. Book an appointment at our showroom, right in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter today.