If you are shopping for a gemstone ring, either as a fashion item for yourself or looking for an engagement ring, there are several boxes that need to be ticked. The first is which metal to have the band made from; the second is which gemstone ring to choose in order to complement your choice of band. For example, if you want a yellow gold ring, a diamond might not be shown off to its best effect; whereas a white gold ring will allow a diamond to sparkle beautifully and cleanly. The final consideration, having decided on the band metal and the gemstone, is the cut – or shape – of the stone.

There are several to choose from, and this may depend on which gem you opted for, or whether your ring is an eternity ring, which has the stones set around the outside. If this is the case, you could have a series of small round cut diamonds encircling the ring, but not touching each other. A second configuration, ideal for eternity rings, is the emerald cut, which is flat and square. This means you can have a series of gems all touching each other, a stripe of color made from precious stones.

Of course the emerald cut was designed originally for emerald rings where the softer and more fragile stone usually needs a little protection. It is common to set emeralds into a bezel setting, a bit like a metal collar which protects the stone from side impacts, that might otherwise chip it. Despite the origins of the different cuts, whether round cut, emerald cut, princess, marquise or heart-shaped, they are all used for most stones these days. The cut that is used is normally chosen to accentuate the beauty of the initial raw stone, and depends on where natural faults and inclusions lie. So whichever cut you decide to go for with your ring, you’ll know that is the perfect shape for your particular piece of gemstone.