When Prince Rainier III proposed to Grace Kelly in January 1956, he gave her a 10.47-carat emerald-cut diamond set between two baguettes in platinum, and Kelly wore the ring on camera that same year while filming High Society. The choice is useful to study for anyone who dresses in structured tailoring, quiet neutrals, and garments meant to last for several decades. Classic designer clothing depends on proportion, clean lines and restraint. The diamond shapes that sit best beside it share those qualities.
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The Emerald Cut and the Logic of Step Facets
The emerald cut belongs to the step-cut family, a style of faceting that dates to the 16th century and became prominent during the Art Deco period. Its long, parallel facets produce broad flashes of light, and that calmer surface suits a wardrobe built on tweed jackets, silk blouses and tailored trousers. The rectangular outline also repeats the vertical lines of a well-cut coat, and the shape sits well beside a column dress or a long, narrow lapel.
Jacqueline Kennedy chose the same shape in 1953, when her first engagement ring paired a 2.88-carat emerald-cut diamond with an emerald of nearly equal size in a 2-stone toi et moi design. About 10 years later she had the ring reworked with marquise and round diamonds set in a laurel wreath pattern. The emerald-cut center took the new surrounding stones without losing its character. Anyone who expects to reset a ring later should note that.
Marquise and Oval Outlines for Tailored Hands
Elongated shapes lengthen the finger and sit comfortably beside slim cuffs and fitted sleeves. Kennedy’s second engagement ring, given by Aristotle Onassis in 1968, held a marquise diamond of about 40 carats. That stone, later known as the Lesotho III, sold at Sotheby’s in 1996 for $2.58 million against a $600,000 valuation.
A buyer drawn to that silhouette can compare an oval solitaire, a pear in a bezel, an elongated cushion and a marquise cut engagement ring set east to west. Each shape suits a minimal prong setting and a thin band.
The Asscher Cut and Its 1902 Patent
Joseph Asscher and his brother Abraham introduced the Asscher cut in 1902, and it became the first diamond cut to be patented. The shape is a square step cut with cropped corners, and its deep, layered facets give the stone a look closely tied to Art Deco design. For a woman whose closet leans toward 1920s and 1930s references, such as drop-waist dresses, geometric beading or a strong-shouldered jacket, the Asscher cut matches that period more closely than any other shape.
The best-known example is the rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow”33.19-carat Krupp Diamond, which Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton acquired thru an agent at Parke-Bernet Galleries in New York in May 1968 for a reported $305,000. Christie’s sold the ring in December 2011 for $8.8 million, well above its estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million and nearly 29 times the 1968 price.
Pear Shapes and the 1969 Auction Record
The pear shape joins a rounded end with a single point, and it works well with fashion that relies on soft draping, such as bias-cut silk or a wrap dress. In October 1969, Burton bought Taylor a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond a day after it had sold at auction in New York for more than $1 million. Taylor sold that stone in 1979 for a reported $3 million to $5 million. A pear of modest size, worn with the point toward the fingertip, lengthens the hand in much the same way a marquise does while presenting a softer outline.
Round and Oval Stones in Current Bridal Data
The round brilliant remains the most common engagement ring shape, though its lead is much smaller than it was. The Knot’s 2024 Jewelry and Engagement Study found that round stones appeared in 28% of engagement rings, a share that has dropped 21% since 2015, while ovals reached 25%, up from 2% in 2015.
The oval’s gain followed a run of high-profile proposals. The oval had become the leading celebrity ring shape by 2019, with Hailey Baldwin, Katherine Schwarzenegger and Sarah Hyland all wearing oval center stones. For a classic wardrobe, the round brilliant gives the most sparkle and pairs easily with almost any neckline or hemline. The oval keeps much of that brightness in a longer outline, and it suits women who want a traditional stone with a slightly more elongated profile.
Platinum, Yellow Gold and the Couture Setting
Metal and setting matter as much as shape when the goal is a ring that suits designer clothing. In 1932, Gabrielle Chanel presented her Bijoux de Diamants collection, a body of diamond jewelry set in platinum, and she explained her preference for diamonds as offering “the greatest value in the smallest volume.” That principle still guides buyers who prefer a single well-proportioned solitaire to a cluster of smaller stones.
Current buyers lean in a different direction on metal. The Knot’s 2024 data placed yellow gold at 36% of engagement rings, level with white gold and up from 9% in 2017, and prong settings led all setting styles at 35%. Yellow gold warms camel coats, cream knits and gold-buttoned blazers, while white gold and platinum suit black, navy and gray tailoring. A simple prong setting keeps attention on the cut, which is the purpose of choosing a shape for its line and proportion.
Classic designer wardrobes tend to be built from fewer pieces that are kept for longer, and the same reasoning applies to a diamond. The emerald, Asscher, marquise, pear, oval and round shapes have each appeared on the hands of women whose style is still studied, and each can be matched to a particular kind of wardrobe. The final choice depends on the lines a woman already wears most often, the metal that suits her usual colors and a setting plain enough to keep the shape in view.
Featured photo source: depositphotos.com
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