Diamond shapes that look biggest for their carat weight
By HeyGema™ · Updated
In short
At the same weight, Marquise has the most face-up area in our chart (+16% against a round), then Oval and Emerald cut. The ranking is the same at every weight.
Round
6.5 mm
Oval
8.0 x 5.5 mm
Cushion
5.6 x 5.6 mm
Princess
5.5 x 5.5 mm
Emerald cut
7.0 x 5.0 mm
Asscher
5.5 x 5.5 mm
Radiant
6.5 x 5.0 mm
Pear
8.5 x 5.5 mm
Marquise
10.4 x 5.2 mm
Heart
6.5 x 6.5 mm
Trillion
7.0 x 7.0 mm
Baguette
8.0 x 4.0 mm
= 2 mm in every picture above
Shapes ranked by face-up size at 1 carat
Face-up area is how much of the stone you see from above. It is not the same as weight, since depth and the shape of the outline change it.
- 1
- Shape: Marquise
- Length x width at 1 ct: 10.4 x 5.2 mm
- Face-up vs round: +16%
- Looks like a round of: 1.25 ct
- 2
- Shape: Oval
- Length x width at 1 ct: 8.0 x 5.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: +6%
- Looks like a round of: 1.09 ct
- 3
- Shape: Emerald cut
- Length x width at 1 ct: 7.0 x 5.0 mm
- Face-up vs round: +4%
- Looks like a round of: 1.06 ct
- 4
- Shape: Round
- Length x width at 1 ct: 6.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: reference
- Looks like a round of: 1 ct
- 5
- Shape: Baguette
- Length x width at 1 ct: 8.0 x 4.0 mm
- Face-up vs round: -2%
- Looks like a round of: 0.97 ct
- 6
- Shape: Radiant
- Length x width at 1 ct: 6.5 x 5.0 mm
- Face-up vs round: -2%
- Looks like a round of: 0.96 ct
- 7
- Shape: Pear
- Length x width at 1 ct: 8.5 x 5.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: -3%
- Looks like a round of: 0.96 ct
- 8
- Shape: Princess
- Length x width at 1 ct: 5.5 x 5.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: -8%
- Looks like a round of: 0.88 ct
- 9
- Shape: Trillion
- Length x width at 1 ct: 7.0 x 7.0 mm
- Face-up vs round: -14%
- Looks like a round of: 0.8 ct
- 10
- Shape: Cushion
- Length x width at 1 ct: 5.6 x 5.6 mm
- Face-up vs round: -14%
- Looks like a round of: 0.8 ct
- 11
- Shape: Asscher
- Length x width at 1 ct: 5.5 x 5.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: -16%
- Looks like a round of: 0.78 ct
- 12
- Shape: Heart
- Length x width at 1 ct: 6.5 x 6.5 mm
- Face-up vs round: -17%
- Looks like a round of: 0.76 ct
What a carat buys in each shape
The last column says a 1 carat stone of that shape faces up like a round of the weight shown. Compare millimeters when you shop, since the same shape varies with its ratio.
- Oval
- 1 ct looks like: 1.09 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 2.18 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 3.26 ct round
- Cushion
- 1 ct looks like: 0.8 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.59 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.39 ct round
- Princess
- 1 ct looks like: 0.88 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.76 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.64 ct round
- Emerald cut
- 1 ct looks like: 1.06 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 2.11 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 3.17 ct round
- Asscher
- 1 ct looks like: 0.78 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.55 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.33 ct round
- Radiant
- 1 ct looks like: 0.96 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.93 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.89 ct round
- Pear
- 1 ct looks like: 0.96 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.92 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.87 ct round
- Marquise
- 1 ct looks like: 1.25 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 2.49 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 3.74 ct round
- Heart
- 1 ct looks like: 0.76 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.51 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.27 ct round
- Trillion
- 1 ct looks like: 0.8 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.61 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.41 ct round
- Baguette
- 1 ct looks like: 0.97 ct round
- 2 ct looks like: 1.94 ct round
- 3 ct looks like: 2.91 ct round
Questions
Marquise, then Oval and Emerald cut, at the same carat weight in our chart. Long, thin shapes spread weight over more face-up area.
An oval of 1 carat is 8.0 x 5.5 mm and faces up +6% against a round (6.5 mm). See round vs oval diamond size.
Heart has the least face-up area, -17% against a round.