We adore round diamonds and we’re not alone. Around 75% of all diamonds sold today are round diamonds, making round the most popular diamond shape by far. Wondering why round diamonds are so beloved? We’re sharing the secret below as we go over the top reasons to love round diamonds and what jewelers recommend you look for in a round diamond.

Unmatched Sparkle

Round diamonds are more brilliant, or sparkly than any other diamond shape. This diamond cut was developed by engineer Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919 after he set out to create a diamond cut that maximized light reflection and refraction. His efforts to create the most brilliant diamond were a success and his round brilliant cut became the standard for round diamonds. Over the years, diamond cutters have continued to perfect his brilliant faceting pattern further, gradually making the round brilliant diamond even more scintillating.

Today, the brilliant cut is used not only on round diamonds but on many other modern diamond shapes. A modified version of the round brilliant cut’s faceting pattern is used on princess cut, oval cut, cushion cut, pear-shaped, marquise cut, heart-shaped, and radiant cut diamonds. While these diamond shapes all have a beautiful shimmer, none of them can achieve quite the same level of brilliance as the round brilliant cut. If you want the brightest and sparkliest diamond possible, you want a round diamond.

Timeless Style

While the faceting pattern used on round brilliant cut diamonds has only been around for a century, round has been an in-demand gemstone shape for over 600 years. The round brilliant cut is an evolution of the favored Old European cut of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which is itself an evolution of even older round gemstone cuts. The enduring popularity of round diamonds gives them a timeless look that simply never goes out of style.

round diamond engagement ring, white gold, platinum

Versatility

The round diamond’s simple shape and classic style give it impressive versatility. Round diamonds look beautiful in a wide range of jewelry settings, so you’ll find an amazing array of round diamond jewelry options. Whether you’re shopping for a diamond engagement ring, diamond studs, a diamond necklace, or any other diamond piece, there’s no shortage of round diamond setting styles for you to choose from.

The versatility and classic look of round diamonds make them particularly popular for diamond engagement rings. Round diamonds are the top diamond shape choice for both side stones and center stones. Round cut engagement rings are the most popular choice for every style of engagement ring, including three stone rings, prong solitaires, bezel solitaires, pavé band rings, and halo engagement rings.

Round Diamond Buying Guide

Fallen in love with round diamonds? Pick out a high-quality round cut diamond using these diamond selection tips.

Prioritize Cut

Diamond cut grade is the most important quality in a round diamond. Diamond cut, not to be confused with diamond shape, is a grading of how well a diamond was cut. If a diamond has been cut well, it will catch and reflect light beautifully, allowing it to look bright and brilliant. If a diamond has been poorly cut, it will look dull and dim, and may also look uneven.

It’s important to prioritize diamond cut when shopping for any diamond shape, but it’s especially important when you’re shopping for a round diamond. The main draw of round diamonds is their brilliance. But if a round diamond has a subpar cut, it won’t have the brilliance you’re looking for.

The GIA grades diamond cut on the following scale:

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor

Choose a diamond with a grade of Excellent or Very Good if you want your round brilliant cut diamond to look bright and sparkly.

round diamond engagement ring, engagement ring on hand

Clarity Grade

Round cut diamonds feature many tiny facets that are fantastic at reflecting light. These facets also happen to be excellent at obscuring flaws, which means that even round-cut diamonds with lower clarity grades can look flawless to the naked eye.

The GIA grades diamond clarity on a scale that ranges from Flawless to Included:

Flawless (FL)
Internally Flawless (IF)
Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2)
Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2)
Slightly Included (SI1, SI2)
Included (I1, I2, I3)

Most people want a diamond that’s eye clean, which is a term that indicates the diamond has no flaws that are visible to the naked eye. There’s no grade on the diamond clarity grade scale at which a diamond is or isn’t eye-clean. Some VS diamonds have flaws that are visible to the naked eye, while some SI diamonds don’t. The key with clarity is to look for an eye-clean diamond with no visible inclusions (internal flaws) or blemishes (external flaws), not for one with a specific grade.

Color Grade

Diamond color grade is a matter of personal preference. Diamond color, a grading of how colorless a diamond is, is graded on a scale of D to Z, with D color diamonds being completely colorless. The scale breaks down as follows:

D to F: Colorless
G to J: Near Colorless
K to M: Faint
N to R: Very Light
S to Z: Light

Most people want a diamond that looks colorless, but where you’ll find that on the color scale comes down to your perception of color. Most people find that G and H color diamonds still look colorless, so diamond experts commonly recommend those grades as being a good value for round diamonds.

One thing you want to think about when selecting your diamond color grade is what color your jewelry setting is. Color is relative and your setting color can change how you perceive the color of your diamond. For example, an I color diamond may look noticeably yellow in a platinum or white gold setting, but it may look white to you in a yellow gold or rose gold setting.

Another thing to consider when it comes to setting color is the fact that diamonds don’t just reflect light, but also color. If you put a completely colorless D grade diamond in a yellow gold setting, it will look a bit less colorless because it is reflecting the golden yellow color of your setting. This can make spending more on a colorless diamond feel unnecessary. If you want a completely colorless diamond to look completely colorless, it’s best to put it in a white setting. If your heart is set on both a colorless diamond and a warm metal, consider looking for a design that has a white setting and a warm-toned band, which can give you the best of both worlds.

round diamond engagement ring, unique engagement ring

Carat Weight

Last but not least, we have diamond carat weight. Most people want the largest diamond they can get within their budget. If that’s the case for you, set your budget and decide what you want in terms of diamond quality. Then, choose the highest carat weight diamond you can find that also has your desired qualities.

One drawback of round diamonds is their high price per carat weight. Round is the most expensive diamond shape. This is in part due to its popularity, but also due to the fact that cutting this shape creates a high amount of rough diamond waste.

If you find that you can’t get a diamond with a carat size you’re happy with in your budget, you may want to consider being more flexible with your diamond color or clarity grade in order to get a higher carat round diamond. However, we suggest being cautious about lowering your cut grade too much. Diamonds that emit more light look larger than duller diamonds. So, if size is what you want, going too low on cut grade may give you the opposite of what you’re looking for.

Should You Choose a Round Cut Diamond?

Whether or not a round diamond is right for you comes down to what you want in your diamond. If you want the most brilliant diamond or the most classic diamond, a round brilliant cut diamond is the clear choice. If you’re drawn to the round-cut diamond’s versatility and perfect symmetry, that’s another reason to choose this beautiful diamond shape. Ultimately, what’s most important is that you love the way your diamond looks. Let your heart lead the way and you can’t go wrong no matter which diamond shape you choose.