How to tell a diamond face
Pull the hair back and look straight into a mirror. On a diamond face the cheekbones are clearly the widest point, the forehead is narrower than the cheekbones, and the jaw narrows to a chin that is narrower still. A heart shaped face also has a narrow chin, but its forehead is as wide as or wider than the cheekbones; the glasses for a heart shaped face guide covers that shape. An oval face is widest at the cheekbones too, but its forehead and jaw are only a little narrower and the curve is gentle; the oval face guide covers it. If the forehead and the jaw both fall away sharply from the cheekbones, the face is a diamond. The face shape guide has the full mirror method.
The rule: width at the brow, softness at the cheek
A diamond face wants a frame that is widest along its top line, so it adds width to the narrow forehead, and curved along the bottom, so it does not draw a line across the wide cheekbones. That combination is why three shapes work and two do not.
The frames that work
- Cat eye. The upswept outer corner adds width exactly at the brow and lifts the eye away from the cheekbones. The cat eye is the first shape to try on a diamond face, in glasses and in sunglasses; the cat eye sunglasses guide covers the versions.
- Oval and soft round. A curved lens softens the angular cheekbones, and a frame with a slightly stronger top rim adds the brow width. Small to medium sizes work best, because the face is narrow above and below the cheekbones.
- Rimless and thin top rims with a defined brow line. A rimless frame adds no line at the cheekbone at all; a frame with a defined top edge and a light lower rim adds width at the brow without weight below. Both suit a diamond face well.
The two that fight it
Narrow frames. A frame narrower than the cheekbones makes them look wider by contrast and leaves the face looking pinched above and below. The frame should reach the width of the cheekbones or very slightly inside them.
Heavy, angular lower rims. A thick bottom rim or a sharp square lower edge draws a line across the widest part of the face. If you want a square or geometric frame, choose one with a thin rim and a stronger top edge.
Width: the check that decides it
Stand at a mirror and look straight ahead. On a diamond face, check the frame against the cheekbones, not the temples, because the temples are narrower. The outer edge of each lens should sit level with the cheekbones or just inside them. Then look at the brow: the top rim should run along the eyebrow line and add visible width there. A frame that sits correctly on a diamond face often looks a little wider at the top than the face itself, and that is the point. The how glasses should fit guide has the full seven checks.
Sunglasses for a diamond face
The same rule holds with dark lenses, and it is easier to apply because sunglasses are usually larger. A cat eye or a soft oval with a defined top line adds brow width; a rimless sunglass keeps the cheekbones free of any line; an aviator works if the top bar is strong and the lens is not wider than the cheekbones. Avoid narrow rectangles and small round sunglasses, which leave the cheekbones as the widest point by a long way. Sunglasses that slide down the nose also drop the top line below the brow and undo the balance, so the fit matters: many of our frames are cut for a lower nose bridge, and the low bridge fit sunglasses collection lists them.
Diamond face glasses for women and men
The shapes hold for both. On a woman's diamond face a cat eye in a medium rim, an oval with a stronger top edge, or a rimless frame are the three to start with. On a man's diamond face a browline frame with a light lower rim, a thin metal oval or a rimless rectangle with rounded corners adds the brow width without looking like a fashion statement. The glasses for your face shape guide compares all the shapes side by side.
MUJOSH frames for a diamond face
Four frames cover the shapes above: two from the eyeglasses collection and two sunglasses.
- Trendy Diamond: a diamond cut cat eye eyeglass frame in acetate, two colorways, $99. The optical cat eye, with the lift at the brow a diamond face wants.
- Halo: a small oval round eyeglass frame in acetate with adjustable nose pads, two colorways, $119. The soft optical option, sized for a face that narrows above and below the cheekbones.
- Ban Habit: an oval cat eye sunglass with a defined top line and polarized lenses, cut for a lower nose bridge, two colorways, $79. Brow width and a curved lower edge in one shape.
- Pearl-Accented: a rimless diamond cut sunglass on titanium temples with a small pearl detail, two colorways, $99. No line at the cheekbones at all.
The sunglasses version of this guide, with nine MUJOSH pairs that follow the same rule, is sunglasses for a diamond face.
The bottom line
A diamond face is widest at the cheekbones and narrow above and below, so the frame should add width at the brow and stay soft or open at the cheek. Cat eyes, ovals with a defined top line and rimless frames do that, in glasses and in sunglasses; narrow frames and heavy lower rims do the opposite. Measure against the cheekbones, let the top rim run along the brow, and make sure the frame stays where it was drawn to sit.
Frequently asked questions
What glasses suit a diamond face shape?
Cat eye frames first, then ovals and soft rounds with a defined top rim, and rimless frames. All of them add width at the brow, where a diamond face is narrow, without drawing a line across the wide cheekbones.
What sunglasses suit a diamond face?
Cat eye and oval sunglasses with a strong top line, rimless sunglasses, and aviators with a defined top bar. Avoid narrow rectangles and small round sunglasses, which leave the cheekbones looking widest.
How do I know if I have a diamond face or a heart shaped face?
Compare the forehead with the cheekbones. On a diamond face the forehead is clearly narrower than the cheekbones; on a heart shaped face the forehead is as wide as or wider than the cheekbones. Both have a narrow chin.
Should glasses be wider than a diamond face?
Level with the cheekbones or just inside them, not wider. The extra width a diamond face needs is at the brow, so look for a frame whose top edge is its widest line rather than a frame that is simply large.
