In addition to the essential criteria like diamond carat size, color, and clarity, specific fancy diamond shapes and branded designer collections add further value premiums that often push record-setting engagement rings into the stratosphere.Fancy Shapes While the classic round brilliant remains the most popular and sought-after shape overall, elongated fancy cuts like cushion, oval, radiant and pear frequently earn record prices in the colored diamond category. Their concentrated dimensions showcase intense color saturation while eliciting visual perceptions of size beyond actual carat weight.Specifically, cushion and oval cuts have earned praise and top prices in recent years due to their versatility balancing color exhibition with preserving critical dimensions and weight during cutting. The $71 million Winston Legacy Pink was a rare fancy vivid 59.6 carat oval, while the recently sold $48.4 million 'Rock' ring featured an oval 30 carat fancy intense pink.Antique shapes like the Oppenheimer Blue's superb 14.62 carat emerald cut or the Wittelsbach's 31 carat antique cushion also demonstrate an ability to optimize historic stones' original essence.Branded Design Provenance Modern and historic jewelry houses with distinguished legacies in sourcing rare colored diamonds also command immense price premiums that produce record-setting values for scarce rings. Names like Graff, Cartier, Harry Winston, and Van Cleef & Arpels are synonymous with the world's elite colored diamond curation.Harry Winston headlined the $71 million namesake pink oval, but also held the prior $57.6 million 'Winston Blue' record before that. Graff's handling of the hallowed $24.3 million Wittelsbach-Graff ring underscored their provenance. And Cartier iconically purchased and set the historic $6.7 million Cartier Sunrise Ruby in 1955.Beyond elite brand legacies, limited edition branded collections also elevate prices and stoke rarity narratives. For example, Graff's 'Once in a Lifetime' collection featured rare colored diamond rings like the $8.6 million vivid yellow diamond Trophy Ring issued in a single numbered edition.So while quality characteristics will always dictate primary colored diamond valuations, secondary factors like elongated fancy shapes ideally suited to colors alongside iconic designer branding and limited edition releases generate compounding value premiums that distinguish true record-setters from peers. Brand stories and renowned cutters behind record rings prove almost as coveted as the diamonds inside.