The round brilliant is not traditional by accident. Its proportions were mathematically optimised in the early twentieth century to maximise the light that enters the stone and returns to the eye. Every other shape is, in optical terms, a compromise made for the sake of outline — which is precisely the appeal of an oval, a marquise or an emerald cut.

That has two consequences worth knowing. A round brilliant hides inclusions better than a step cut, so you can often drop a clarity grade without seeing a difference. And because demand is highest here, a round costs more per carat than an equivalent pear or oval.

Four-prong shows the most stone and is the cleanest classic look — see our solitaire rings. Six-prong is more secure and slightly softens the outline. Bezel protects the girdle completely, which is the right answer for anyone with hands-on work. Halo rings a smaller centre stone with pavé diamonds to add perceived size. A pavé band carries the light down the shank, and cluster and three-stone designs build the centre from several stones instead of one.

• Cut grade is everything in a round. This is the one shape where cut is graded on a strict scale, and the difference between Excellent and Good is visible across a room.
• You can compromise on clarity. A round brilliant's faceting masks small inclusions. VS clarity is usually indistinguishable from VVS to the naked eye.
• Rounds look smaller than elongated shapes at equal carat. A 1.00 Ct round is roughly 6.5mm across; a 1.00 Ct oval reads noticeably longer on the finger.
• Lab-grown gets you more round. Because rounds carry the highest per-carat premium, this is the shape where choosing lab-grown makes the largest visible difference to size.

This is our largest collection — 50 round designs in 14K and 18K gold, all set with IGI-certified lab-grown diamonds, spanning solitaires, halos, pavé bands, engraved and floral designs and stackable bands.

Every ring ships with its certificate, insured worldwide delivery, lifetime exchange and free resizing. Custom work takes two to five weeks — see the custom order gallery. Also browse round solitaire studs, men's rings and all women's rings. Visit our studio in Borivali West, Mumbai, or book a free virtual consultation.