A diamond face is widest at the cheekbones, with a forehead and a jaw that are both clearly narrower, so the outline comes to a soft point at the top and the bottom. In numbers: forehead and jaw each at roughly 70 to 88 percent of the cheekbone width, and a length 1.30 to 1.55 times the cheekbone width. The Face Shape Calculator checks this from four measurements.
Diamond is one of the seven reference outlines in the face shape chart: a styling category that describes how a face reads, not an anatomical type.
How to tell if you have a diamond face
Measure forehead (A), cheekbones (B), jaw (C) and length (D) as the measuring guide shows, then divide each by B.
| Ratio | Diamond: most typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A/B (forehead) | 0.75–0.88 | Forehead clearly narrower than the cheekbones |
| C/B (jaw) | 0.70–0.85 | Jaw clearly narrower than the cheekbones |
| D/B (length) | 1.30–1.55 | Longer than it is wide |
Widest point: the cheekbones, by a margin. Both other widths sit well inside the cheekbone line. This double taper, upward and downward, is the whole definition.
The forehead decides. Many faces are widest at the cheekbones. What makes a diamond is that the forehead is narrow too, often narrowing toward the temples. Measure it at its widest point with all hair pulled back, because hair at the temples hides exactly the edge you need.
Length: moderately long. Most diamond faces sit in the same length band as oval, so length rarely settles the question. The widths do.
A typical diamond face: forehead 11 cm, cheekbones 14 cm, jaw 10.5 cm, length 20 cm. The ratios are 0.79, 0.75 and 1.43. The calculator scores it 96 for diamond, 70 for heart and 61 for oval.
Diamond, oval or heart?
People who notice their cheekbones first often call themselves diamond, but prominent cheekbones are not enough. Here is how the neighbors differ.
- Oval is also widest at the cheekbones and has a similar length. The difference is the forehead: on an oval face it is close to the cheekbone width, typically 0.88 to 1.00. The closer your forehead gets to your cheekbones, the higher oval climbs: a face with the forehead at 0.90 of the cheekbones and the jaw at 0.80 already scores oval first, however striking the cheekbones look. The oval face shape guide covers that shape.
- Heart shares the narrow jaw but has the opposite forehead: as wide as the cheekbones or wider. If you are not sure which of your top two widths is larger, heart vs diamond walks through it with example numbers.
Hair for a diamond face
The cheekbones already carry the width, so the useful direction is the opposite one: add a little fullness above and below them. At the top, bangs or a deep side part cover part of the narrow forehead and widen it visually. At the bottom, chin-length or longer hair with movement at the ends fills in the space beside a narrow jaw.
What widens the widest point is volume right at cheekbone level, as with a cut layered to puff out at the cheeks, or hair tucked tightly behind the ears, which exposes the full cheekbone line. Height at the crown with sleek sides makes the top come to a sharper point. Bangs by face shape and where a bob should end cover the two most common decisions.
Glasses for a diamond face
Frames are a way to add width at the brow line, where a diamond face is narrow. Shapes with a defined top edge, such as browline frames, soft cat-eyes and ovals with a slightly stronger upper rim, do this. Frame width close to the cheekbone width keeps the frame from sitting inside the face like a narrow band. Very narrow frames emphasize the cheekbones by contrast.
The sunglasses chart applies the same logic to aviators, cat-eyes and oversized lenses, and glasses frame size turns your cheekbone measurement into a frame width.
Earrings, necklines and brows
Earrings that are wider at the bottom, or studs and small shapes close to the ear, add width at jaw level without adding to the cheekbones; earrings for your face shape has the full breakdown. Scoop and sweetheart necklines repeat the softening curve below the chin, and necklines for your face shape brings neck length and bust into the choice.
Brows with a curved arch, peaking slightly toward the center, draw width toward the forehead. The brow shape guide shows how to map yours.