Author Archives: keith

Square-cut or pear-shape these rocks don’t lose their shape,” was one of the playful lyrics Marilyn Monroe belted out in her legendary rendition of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” The line was, obviously, in jest. Diamonds don’t lose their shape. The details of a diamond’s shape, however, can get lost in the discussion of the 4Cs—color, cut, clarity and carat weight—surrounding engagement rings.

So, what is shape? It’s a physical description. Most diamond shapes clearly describe the silhouette of the girdle (or center line) of a gem such as round, oval and pear. Other shapes are named after the people who designed them. The term Asscher comes from Joseph Asscher who conceived the shape in 1902. There are also idiosyncratic examples like the emerald cut that was designed in the 1920s and named after the most popular shape for emeralds.

You see why a comedic song like “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” fits the spirit of this story, right? The subject of shape can be quirky, but it’s so important.

A diamond’s shape sets the mood of an engagement ring more than any other element of the design. There are a countless number of diamond shapes to choose from. On these pages we have selected some of the hottest and eternally popular shapes set in an array of classic and cool engagement rings. Hopefully you will find a new best friend among them.

ROUND BRILLIANT

The round brilliant, also referred to as a round brilliant cut, is the icon of diamond shapes. It has been far and away the most popular diamond shape for engagement rings since it was conceived by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. The Belgian lapidary redesigned round diamonds into round brilliants giving them 58 impeccably placed facets. An ideal blend of art and science, the arrangement of facets makes light bounce up through the top of the diamond. The bright light of the shape is one big reason it’s been the queen of the category for so long. The other is its versatility. Round brilliants give a classic touch to just about any type of design.

OVAL

The “It Girl” of diamond shapes today is the oval. Blake Lively, Hailey Bieber and Kourtney Kardashian are a few who sport one on the third finger of their left hand. Marlo Laz designer Jesse Marlo Lazowski credits the success of ovals to the “elegant and sophisticated” look of the shape. Ovals shine almost as brightly as round brilliants. They also give the illusion of elongating a hand. While Blake, Hailey and Kourtney wear their oval diamonds set relatively simply in prong settings on slender bands, there are lots of bold and artistic alternative ways to wear the shape.

EMERALD and ASSCHER

Two glamorous Hollywood legends popularized the sister shapes, emerald and Asscher, decades ago. The 10.48-carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring Grace Kelly received in 1956 is still one of the most beloved engagement rings in the world. And the 33.19-carat Asscher cut diamond ring Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor in 1968 is simply one of the most well-known diamonds ever worn by anyone. Emerald cuts are rectangular and Asschers are square. Both have angled cut corners. Their brilliance is understated. As designer David Yurman eloquently explained, “The emerald cut is a refined and elevated shape, emphasizing a diamond’s clarity, whiteness and luster, rather than its brilliance and fire.”

PEAR

There once was a time not so very long ago when pear shape diamonds were almost always set in engagement rings with the point up and the rump down. While the classic setting is still available, more often you will find designers have taken the pear and turned it on its side. Some set it at an angle in a style we call akimbo. Others put it in a diagonal line, a setting named east-west referring to the points on a compass. “Just changing the orientation of a pear shape changes its essence,” explains designer Jade Trau. And it’s true. These new perspectives have given pears, which can be found in jewelry dating back hundreds of years, a vibrant new look.

MARQUISE

Similar to the vibe shift of pear shape diamond engagement rings, the marquise has also been turned on its side in akimbo and east-west settings. The new direction of the ship shape adds a dynamism to engagement rings. It transforms the historic marquise into something quite contemporary. It’s an astonishing feat considering the gem’s long history. Invented during the 18th century reign of Louis XV, one origin story of the marquise shape is that it was named in honor of the French king’s mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour. Another version of the story ties the marquise to the shape of rings worn by courtiers at Versailles to flaunt their rank. In modern parlance you would call this a flex.

Our special thanks to Marion Fasel, and Only Natural Diamonds for this amazing article

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sotheby’s in Asia, early next month Sotheby’s Hong Kong will showcase the crown jewel of its autumn auctions – The Infinite Blue, an 11.28-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring.

The stone’s final carat weight, ending in eight, was deliberately planned. Well-regarded as an embodiment of prosperity and auspiciousness in Asia, the form of the numerical digit when rotated is reminiscent of the universal symbol for infinity, which inspired its name.

The blue diamond ring will be offered in a stand-alone auction on 5 October, with an estimate between HK$208 and 288 million (US$26.6 and 36 million).

Blue diamonds are among the rarest of all coloured diamonds. Of all natural diamonds, less than 0.02% come in blue.

While other coloured diamonds can be found in mines worldwide, the sources for blue diamonds are incredibly limited, with the majority being unearthed in the Cullinan Mine in South Africa.

But even there, such finds are extremely rare – only 0.1% of the total mining production can produce blue diamonds, irrespective of the strength of colour.

With immense rarity, blue diamonds have been highly sought-after on the market. The current auction record stands at CHF 56.8 million (US$57.5 million), set by The Oppenheimer Blue, a 14.62-carat Fancy Vivid blue, at Christie’s Geneva in 2016.

Last year, a near tie with this record was achieved when the 15.1-carat De Beers Blue went for HK$451 million (US$57.5 million) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.

The Infinite Blue | A Fancy Vivid Blue diamond and diamond ring

Set with a radiant-cut fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 11.28 carats, embellished with brilliant-cut and trapeze-shaped diamonds and brilliant-cut diamonds of pink tint, mounted in 18 karat white and pink gold

Clarity: VS2

Estimate: HK$208,000,000 – 288,000,000 (US$26.6 – 36 million)

Auction House: Sotheby’s Hong Kong

Sale: The Infinite Blue

Date and Time: 5 October | 8:00 p.m. (Hong Kong Local Time)

Same as those two diamonds, the rough stone of The Infinite Blue was discovered at the Cullinan Mine. Apart from blue diamonds, the mine has also yielded many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the 530-carat Great Star of Africa, the largest faceted colourless diamond in the world.

Weighing 11.28 carats, The Infinite Blue has been graded Fancy Vivid by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) – the highest possible colour grading, awarded to no more than 1% of the blue diamonds submitted to the GIA.

In terms of clarity, it is classified as VS2, ranking sixth on the GIA scale, meaning minor inclusions are visible under 10x magnification by a skilled grader.

To enhance its appearance, the stone has been cushioned into a radiant cut, a style that combines the dazzling sparkle of a round brilliant and the aristocratic elegance of an emerald cut. With 70 facets, it creates a mesmerizing interplay of light while camouflaging minor imperfections.

Throughout the ages, blue diamonds have been highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs across the globe. Notably, Hong Kong property tycoon Joseph Lau is renowned for his generous and high-profile acquisition of blue diamonds.

In 2014, Lau spent US$32.6 million on a 9.75-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond at Sotheby’s New York, and named it The Zoe Diamond after his first daughter.

The following year, in 2015, he splurged US$48.6 million on a 12.03-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond at Sotheby’s Geneva. Dedicating to his second daughter, he named it The Blue Moon of Josephine, which remains the most expensive diamond per carat in auction history.

Working with Keith was truly a great experience. He was able to provide my absolute dream ring to my fiancé and then provided us with our wedding bands as well. We traveled from Boston to work with Keith and would recommend 1000%. Could not be happier with our rings and our experience, thank you Keith!

Maria C

6/14/23

Boston, Ma