Guide to Choosing the Best Diamond Cut for Sparkle

Round brilliant cuts deliver maximum sparkle, followed by oval, marquise, and pear shapes. These brilliant-cut diamonds reflect the most light due to their 57-58 facet arrangement. Cut quality matters more than color or clarity for sparkle performance.

Here's what determines a diamond's sparkle potential:

• Round brilliant cuts achieve the highest light return with mathematically optimized proportions
• Oval, marquise, and pear shapes offer brilliant sparkle in elongated forms
• Step cuts like emerald create elegant flashes rather than intense fire
• Mixed cuts combine brilliant and step elements for balanced performance
• Cut grade (Excellent vs Very Good) impacts sparkle more than color or clarity
• Custom settings can enhance any cut's light performance through proper design

That is where Mikado Diamonds comes in. Our premium lab-grown diamonds feature excellent cut grades across all shapes, from classic round brilliants to rare hexagonal and triangle cuts.

Keep reading if you want to learn more.

Brilliant Cuts: Engineered for Maximum Light Return

The brilliant cut family includes round, oval, marquise, and pear shapes, all designed with the same fundamental goal: maximum light return through precisely calculated facet patterns.

How Brilliant Cut Facets Create Superior Sparkle

Brilliant cuts use a specific 57-58 facet arrangement that acts like a sophisticated light management system. The crown facets capture light from above, while the pavilion facets beneath reflect it back through the top of the diamond.

Here's how the facet pattern works:

• Table facet: Large top surface that allows light entry
• Crown facets: 8 bezel and 16 star facets that bend incoming light
• Pavilion facets: 16 main and 16 lower girdle facets that reflect light upward
• Culet: Small bottom point that prevents light leakage

This mathematical precision is why brilliant cuts consistently outperform other diamond shapes in light performance testing.

Light Performance Across Brilliant Shapes

While all brilliant cuts share the same facet structure, their light performance varies based on shape:

• Round brilliant: Delivers 100% optimal light return when cut to ideal proportions. The circular shape allows perfect symmetry across all facets.
• Oval brilliant: Achieves 85-90% of round's light performance while appearing 10-15% larger due to its elongated shape.
• Marquise brilliant: Returns 80-85% optimal light, with potential light leakage at the pointed ends if poorly cut.
• Pear brilliant: Performs at 80-85% efficiency, combining round and marquise characteristics with the rounded end delivering superior sparkle.

Why Lab-Grown Diamonds Excel in Brilliant Cuts

Lab-grown diamonds offer a significant advantage for brilliant cuts because they can be grown with fewer inclusions and better color consistency than most natural diamonds at comparable prices.

We've found that lab-grown brilliant cuts often achieve better light performance because:

• More precise crystal structure during controlled growth
• Higher clarity grades at lower costs allow better light transmission
• Consistent color grading means predictable sparkle performance
• Premium cut grades become affordable, maximizing the brilliant cut's potential

When designing custom engagement rings, we typically recommend brilliant cuts for clients prioritizing maximum sparkle, especially in lab-grown diamonds where the size amplifies the brilliant cut's light performance advantages.

Step Cuts: Elegant Flashes vs. Brilliant Fire

Step cuts create a completely different sparkle experience than brilliant cuts. Instead of intense fire and scintillation, these diamonds produce elegant flashes of light that create what gemologists call the "hall of mirrors" effect.

How Step Cuts Handle Light Differently

Step cut diamonds feature large, rectangular facets arranged in parallel rows. The three main step cut shapes are:

• Emerald cut: Rectangular with cut corners and 57-58 facets
• Asscher cut: Square version of emerald with deeper step facets
• Baguette cut: Elongated rectangle with fewer facets (typically 24)

These large facets act like windows into the diamond rather than mirrors that reflect light back to your eye. You'll see broad flashes of light and dark as the diamond moves, creating an elegant, sophisticated appearance rather than intense sparkle.

When Step Cuts Are the Perfect Choice

Step cuts excel in specific situations where brilliant sparkle might actually work against you:

• For larger diamonds over 2 carats: The hall of mirrors effect becomes more dramatic and elegant in bigger stones. We often recommend step cuts for clients choosing lab-grown diamonds over 3 carats because the size showcases the cut's architectural beauty.
• When clarity matters most: Step cuts reveal inclusions more easily than brilliant cuts, but they also showcase exceptional clarity beautifully. VS1 or higher grades look stunning in step cuts.
• For vintage or art deco settings: The geometric lines of step cuts complement angular, architectural ring designs perfectly.

Mixed Cuts: The Best of Both Worlds

Mixed cuts combine the fire of brilliant cuts with the elegance of step cuts, creating diamonds that offer both intense sparkle and sophisticated flashes of light. 

Princess, cushion, and radiant cuts lead this category by strategically placing brilliant-cut facets on the crown and step-cut elements on the pavilion.

How Mixed Cuts Maximize Light Performance

The genius of mixed cuts lies in their dual faceting system. The brilliant-cut crown creates maximum light return and scintillation, while the step-cut pavilion adds dramatic flashes of colored light. This combination delivers:

• Princess cuts: Sharp corners with 76 facets creating intense fire
• Cushion cuts: Rounded corners with 64 facets for vintage elegance
• Radiant cuts: Trimmed corners with 70 facets balancing brilliance and size

Radiant cuts particularly excel at hiding inclusions while maximizing carat weight appearance, making them ideal for larger lab-grown diamonds where you can achieve exceptional size and quality at a fraction of natural diamond costs.

Custom Setting Considerations for Mixed Cuts

Mixed cuts require specific setting considerations to protect their unique characteristics:

• Corner protection: Princess and radiant cuts need V-prongs or bezel settings at corners
• Proportions matter: Length-to-width ratios dramatically affect appearance
• Prong placement: Strategic positioning enhances the mixed faceting pattern

The versatility of mixed cuts makes them excellent candidates for custom designs. Their geometric shapes complement both vintage-inspired and ultra-modern settings, allowing for creative customization that highlights each diamond's unique light performance.

Rare and Fancy Shapes: Unique Sparkle Patterns

While traditional cuts dominate the market, rare and fancy diamond shapes offer distinctive sparkle patterns that create truly personalized engagement rings. These unique cuts produce different light behaviors that can make your diamond stand out from conventional choices.

Heart, Triangle, and Geometric Cuts Create Distinctive Light Patterns

Heart-shaped diamonds combine the brilliance of round cuts with romantic symbolism, featuring 56-58 facets that create a soft, romantic sparkle. The pointed tip and curved lobes produce unique light reflection patterns that differ from traditional shapes.

Triangle cuts (also called trilliant cuts) offer bold, geometric sparkle with their three-sided design. The 50+ facets create sharp light flashes that appear more dramatic than round diamonds, especially when viewed from different angles.

Kite diamonds feature four pointed corners with a distinctive diamond-shaped outline. 

Their unique facet arrangement creates linear light patterns that flow along the stone's length, producing a completely different visual effect than traditional cuts.

Choosing Your Cut: Sparkle vs. Personal Style

While round brilliants top the sparkle charts, your perfect diamond cut depends on balancing maximum light performance with your personal aesthetic and practical considerations.

Sparkle Performance Rankings

Here's how diamond cuts rank for pure light return and brilliance:

Highest Sparkle:

• Oval and marquise (modified brilliant cuts)
• Pear and heart shapes

Moderate Sparkle:

• Princess and radiant cuts (square brilliants)
• Cushion cuts (varies by facet pattern)

Lower Sparkle, Higher Elegance:

• Emerald and Asscher cuts (step cuts prioritize clarity over brilliance)
• Baguette and other step cuts

Finger Shape and Setting Considerations

Your hand shape influences how different cuts will look:

• Shorter fingers: Oval, marquise, and pear cuts create length
• Wider fingers: Round and square cuts provide balance
• Long, slender fingers: Any cut works, but emerald cuts showcase elegance

Setting style also impacts sparkle performance. Prong settings allow maximum light entry, while bezel settings can slightly reduce brilliance but offer better protection for daily wear.

Finding Your Perfect Sparkling Diamond

Choosing the right diamond cut is what makes the difference between a ring that sparkles from across the room and one that falls flat.

With so many options like round, oval, radiant, and even rare shapes like kite or hexagonal, it’s easy to get lost in the technical details.

That’s where we come in. 

At Mikado Diamonds, we specialize in premium-cut lab grown diamonds that shine in real life. From timeless round brilliants to modern mixed cuts, every stone we offer is chosen for exceptional light performance and certified by GIA or IGI.

If you're not sure which cut is right for your style, your budget, or your hand shape, let's talk. 

Book a free consultation and get expert advice on designing a ring that sparkles exactly the way you imagined.