Unique Diamond Shapes & Cuts Guide | Artisan Custom Engagement Rings
Unique Diamond Shapes Guide: Find a Stone as Original as Your Love Story
Diamonds don’t have to be round to be timeless. In fact, some of the most breathtaking engagement rings start with a stone that feels a little unexpected—geometric, elongated, antique, or wonderfully imperfect.
At Melissa Tyson Designs, we specialize in designing custom engagement rings around unique diamond shapes. Each stone is hand-selected and each ring is handcrafted in our Wilmington, North Carolina studio—so your ring feels personal, soulful, and completely one-of-a-kind.
Our Favorite Unique Diamond Shapes (and Why We Love Them)
Elongated Hexagon Diamonds
Elongated Hexagon diamonds feel modern, architectural, and a little magical. Their symmetry pairs beautifully with hammered gold and organic settings.
Why our clients love them:
- Strong geometric lines
- Elongates the finger
- Perfect for the unique bride who has her own style and aesthetic
Kite-Shaped Diamonds
Kite diamonds feel edgy and modern—perfect for compass settings or asymmetrical designs.
Why our clients love them:
- Dramatic and unexpected
- Stunning in minimalist bands
- Popular with art lovers and creatives
Shield & Geometric Fancy Cuts
Shield, lozenge, and custom fancy cuts feel ancient, symbolic, and powerful.
Why our clients love them:
- Rare and hard to find
- Great for bold, sculptural rings
- Feels heirloom-worthy and symbolic
Pear & Marquise Diamonds
Elongated shapes that feel romantic, regal, and flattering on the hand.
Why our clients love them:
- Makes fingers look longer
- Offers big visual impact per carat
- Beautiful in organic, low-profile settings
Antique & Old Mine Cut Elongated Cushions
Old mine and antique elongated cushions have soft edges and chunky facets that glow instead of sparkle.
Why our clients love them:
- Vintage charm
- Softer, romantic light return
- Perfect for heirloom-inspired designs
- And of course Taylor Swift with her elongated cushion cut diamond
Unique Diamond Cuts (Beyond the Standard Brilliant)
While diamond shape describes the outline of the stone, the cut describes how the facets are arranged—and this is what creates sparkle, glow, and personality inside the diamond.
Unique diamond cuts often feel antique, romantic, or artistic—perfect for unique custom, handcrafted engagement rings.
Rose Cut Diamonds
Rose cut diamonds are flat on the bottom with faceted domes on top, creating a soft, candlelit glow rather than intense sparkle.
Why clients love them:
- Antique and romantic feel
- Beautiful in low-profile settings
- Perfect for bohemian and heirloom-inspired designs
- Mostly seen in salt and pepper diamonds, lab diamonds or natural vintage diamonds
Portrait Cut Diamonds
Portrait cuts are thin, tablet-like diamonds that look like clear windows into the stone. They often highlight inclusions and internal textures.
Why clients love them:
- Rare and artistic
- Gorgeous in bezel settings
- Perfect for minimalist, modern rings
- Look like a pane of glass in a window with beveled edges
- Super translucent with minimal sparkle
Double Cut Diamonds
Double cuts combine brilliant and step-cut faceting styles, offering both sparkle and architectural elegance.
Why clients love them:
- Balanced brilliance and structure
- Unique faceting patterns
- Excellent for custom settings
- Can be set rose cut face up or traditional table face up, two setting options
- Mostly seen in salt and pepper diamonds
Old Mine Cut Diamonds
Old mine cuts are antique diamonds with chunky facets and a warm glow, typically found in vintage jewelry, they were created in the 1800 and early 1900’s and cut by candlelight.
Why clients love them:
- Deep, romantic sparkle with large uneven chunky facets with open culet
- Perfect for vintage-inspired rings
- Feels historic and heirloom-worthy
- Very ethical as they are recycled into the diamond market
- Warmer color diamonds
Old European Cut Diamonds
Old European cuts are early versions of modern round brilliants, with more facets and a softer, twinkling light return.
Why clients love them:
- Vintage sparkle with depth, more uniform facets in a flower like pattern and open culet
- Beautiful in antique-style settings
- Rare and collectible
Step Cut Diamonds (Emerald, Baguette, Asscher)
Step cuts have long hall of mirror facets that create elegant flashes of light rather than sparkle.
Why clients love them:
- Sleek, modern, and architectural with a classy appeal
- Highlights clarity and craftsmanship
- Perfect for Art Deco and minimalist designs
Peruzzi Cut Diamonds
Peruzzi cuts are rare antique cuts with a distinctive faceting pattern developed in the 17th century.
Why clients love them:
- Historically significant
- Soft, romantic sparkle
- Extremely rare and unique
- Rounded soft square shape
Portuguese Cut Diamonds
Portuguese cuts have extra facets, creating a mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic sparkle.
Why clients love them:
- Incredible brilliance
- Artistic faceting pattern with 161 facets
- Perfect for statement stones
- Appears like a kaleidoscope
At Melissa Tyson Designs, we design each ring around the cut and character of your stone, so it feels balanced, wearable, and timeless.
FAQ's
What is the difference between diamond shape and diamond cut?
Diamond shape describes the outline of the stone—like oval, hexagon, pear, or kite. Diamond cut describes how the facets are arranged inside the stone, which affects sparkle, glow, and personality.
Do unique diamond shapes cost more?
Not always. Many fancy shapes like elongated hexagons, kites, and marquise diamonds offer more visual size per carat and can be more budget-friendly than round diamonds.
Are unique diamond shapes durable for everyday wear?
Yes—when designed correctly. Custom settings are especially important for protecting pointed tips and edges, which is why we hand-design each ring for daily wear.
Which diamond shape looks the largest on the hand?
Elongated shapes like marquise, oval, pear, kite, and elongated hexagon often appear larger than round diamonds of the same carat weight.
What are antique diamond cuts?
Antique cuts include old mine cut, old European cut, rose cut, and Peruzzi cut diamonds. These stones often have chunky facets and a soft, romantic glow rather than modern sparkle.
Are antique diamond cuts less sparkly than modern diamonds?
Antique cuts usually have a softer, candlelit glow compared to modern brilliant cuts. Many clients love their warmth, history, and character.
What is the most sparkly diamond cut?
Brilliant cuts (like modern round brilliant and Portuguese cuts) are designed for maximum sparkle and fire due to their complex faceting patterns.
Can I design a custom ring around a geometric or antique diamond?
Absolutely. We specialize in custom engagement rings for hexagon, kite, shield, antique, rose cut, and portrait cut diamonds.
Which diamond cut is best for a custom engagement ring?
There is no single “best” cut. Brilliant cuts maximize sparkle, while antique and rose cuts feel romantic, organic, and artistic. The best cut is the one that feels like you.
Design Your One-of-a-Kind Diamond Engagement Ring
Your diamond should feel like you—unexpected, meaningful, and full of story.
Book a free design consultation and let’s create something beautiful together.