Square is the New Round

Let me preface this by stating the obvious: All diamonds are gorgeous.

But I always found myself attracted to shapes deviating from the norm -- particularly any that incorporate straight edges.

At first, I was drawn to the ever-popular Princess cut. Then, I expanded my horizons, and learned about the Asscher, cushion and radiant (oh my!).

four square - by Whisked Away on Polyvore.com

Mr. Bruschetta and I began to peruse together in October 2006. In one store, we learned about a diamond company, Hearts on Fire, and saw examples of its square-like stone, the Dream.

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(Please excuse the poor picture; it's nearly impossible to find a good one of the Dream online!)

Together, we heard about the amazingly high standards to which Hearts on Fire holds its artisans (less than 400 people in the world qualify to craft the company's two signature cuts) and the precision that goes into creating each diamond (which are crafting using 100X magnification -- 10 times the industry standard). And I found my ideal square-shaped stone, which possesses many of the properties of the Hearts on Fire (round/brilliant) diamond, including a ring of symmetrical hearts when viewed from the bottom.

We loved what we saw, and I found I couldn't stop thinking about the Dream. In January 2007, after comparing several similar Dreams side-by-side, we selected one to purchase. (Wow, was that an exciting feeling!) However, we decided to wait on the setting, as I wasn't sure exactly what style I liked best.

Who says learning about engagement rings -- and diamonds -- is just for the guys?