Cuts and Shapes - What to Look For in a CZ Wedding Or Engagement Ring

Cubic zirconia has grown extremely popular for wedding and engagement rings. Prices range from $30 for a silver ring with a .25 carat cubic zirconia and go as high as the several thousand dollars for top quality 5-carat stones set in platinum. Whatever your budget, you can find a cubic zirconia ring in every imaginable shape, color and metal. While their gemstone cuts are the same as traditional diamonds, cubic zirconia is highly wearable and stunning, given their clarity and precise faceting. They're also colorful and work beautifully with both a wedding dress and jeans.

If you're looking for a wedding or engagement ring, try to narrow down your options by first selecting from one of the main gemstone cuts.

Basic Gemstone Cuts

Step Cut

This cut has parallel facets and is rectangular in shape. It has a reputation of being glass-like and elegant. The emerald cut, a variation of the step cut, has similar facets but rounded-off corners.

Brilliant Cut

Brilliant cut gemstones tend to be brighter and have maximum sparkle as a result of its 58 different facets. The round brilliant cut solitaire is one of the most popular choices for wedding rings.

Typical Gemstone Shapes

Once you've selected the cut, it's time to select a shape. Here are some examples of popular shapes used for wedding and engagement rings.

Baguette: This stone is often rectangular and has stepped facets from the center to the side. The baguette shape tends to be very clear. They are understated and somewhat unusual in wedding jewelry.

Emerald: The emerald cut shape is like a rectangle with its corners cut off. Its facets are rectangular and present a unique sparkle.The ratio of length to width is 1.65:1.

Marquise: This elegant cut of cubic zirconia is sometimes described as a "football" shape. It is a slender shape with tapered ends and a ratio of 2:1 of length to width.

Princess: This shape has sharp corners and is typically square. It has either 50 or 58 facets. Because of it's corner angles, you need to take special care that the ring doesn't snag on anything.

Bonus Tip

When looking at gemstone rings, ensure that the stone is perfectly centered in the setting from both top and bottom. Also, look for symmetry in the stone itself. Finally, check that the center of the top facet is perfectly flat..