Price by shape · Reviewed November 2026
Round costs the most. Everything else is a discount.
Round brilliants waste the most rough stone in cutting and carry the most demand, so they set the top price. Every fancy shape trades a little of that premium away — often while looking bigger per carat.
| Shape | vs round | 1 ct natural, balanced | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | baseline | $4,100 – $5,900 | Most sparkle, most demand, most per carat |
| Oval | −10% | $3,700 – $5,300 | Faces up larger than round at the same weight; watch for the bow-tie shadow |
| Pear | −12% | $3,600 – $5,200 | Elongating, distinctive; symmetry matters, check it in video |
| Emerald | −15% | $3,500 – $5,000 | Glassy "hall of mirrors" look; shows inclusions and color more, so grades matter |
| Marquise | −15% | $3,500 – $5,000 | Biggest face-up spread per carat of any shape |
| Radiant | −18% | $3,350 – $4,850 | Emerald outline, brilliant sparkle; hides inclusions well |
| Princess | −20% | $3,300 – $4,700 | Cheapest path to sparkle; corners are fragile, use a protective setting |
| Cushion | −20% | $3,300 – $4,700 | Soft vintage look; quality varies widely, buy on video not paper |
Discounts are typical, not fixed — a superbly cut oval can out-price a mediocre round. Lab-grown shapes follow the same pattern at lab prices.
Reading the table
The oval play
Ovals cost ~10% less than rounds and face up larger at the same carat. Stacked together, an oval can read a half-size bigger for less money — which is why it became the default alternative.
Fancy shapes, fussier quality
Rounds have a standardized cut grade; fancy shapes mostly don't. The discount comes with homework: judge fancy shapes by video and measurements, not by the certificate alone.
Shape is free to change your mind on
Unlike carat or lab-vs-natural, shape barely moves the budget. Pick the one the wearer actually wants — the table is here so you know what the choice costs, not to talk anyone into a radiant.
Price any shape at any size
The estimator applies these shape adjustments automatically.