Emerald cut diamond.
Emerald cut diamonds are treasured for their elegant silhouette. The shallow pavilion and crown accentuate the clarity of the diamond, while the reflective steps enhance the color and luster of the diamond.
Emerald cut diamond.
The unique look of the emerald cut diamond is created by the step cuts of its pavilion and its large, open table. Instead of the sparkle of a brilliant cut, emerald cut diamonds produce a hall-of-mirrors effect, with the interplay of light and dark planes. While less fiery, the long lines and dramatic flashes of light give the emerald cut an elegant appeal. The shape was originally developed for the cutting of emeralds, thus the name.
Emerald cut diamond ring.
Emerald cut diamond features.
One of the first cuts to be used in jewellery, the emerald cut is a rectangular shape with truncated corners and a broad and flat plane that resembles stair steps when viewed from above. This style is referred to as a 'step cut'. The emerald is usually comprised of 57 facets (with 25 on the crown and 32 on the pavilion), although the number of rows of facets on both the crown and pavilion can vary, altering the total number of facets for this cut.
While it typically has less fire and brilliance than brilliant cuts, the broad flat plane of this shape highlights the clarity of a diamond and its natural crystalline rectangular growth. Additionally, the flat planes of the edges allow for a variety of side gemdiamonds such as the long thin rectangular diamonds that often flank this cut, known as baguettes.
The vast majority of emerald cuts have length to width ratios between 1.30 and 1.50 with 1.40 considered as the "ideal" or most popular. Those who prefer a more squared shape will opt for lower ratios while those after a more rectangular cut will choose higher ratios. Emerald ratios outside this range are atypical and generally less desirable.
Because of its large open facets, higher clarity grades (VS2 and above for GIA and VS1 and above for EGL, to ensure it is completely eye-clean) are usually recommended for emerald cut diamonds. As with the Emerald and cushion cuts, more rectangular shapes (larger ratios) help to elongate shorter fingers.
Emerald cut diamonds vary from nearly square to a narrow rectangle. The classic emerald cut diamond has a length to width ratio of around 1.50. If you prefer the look of the square emerald cut diamond, be sure to consider the asscher cut as well (which has a very similar appearance, and is defined by GIA as a square cut emerald).
While the GIA provides cut grading for some cuts, such as the round brilliant it doesn't provide cut grading for emerald cut diamonds. However, it grades polish and symmetry. These are some of the key features to be considered to have a brilliant and sparkly diamond.
Since there is no industry-wide consent on what cut parameters make an ideal emerald cut diamond, we recommend using the chart below as a general guideline for evaluating the cut quality of emerald diamonds.
The chart below serves as a general guideline for evaluating the cut of an emerald cut diamond:
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| Emerald Cut Diamond | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 - 67 | 59 - 60.9 or 67.1 - 70 | 57 - 58.9 or 70.1 - 74 | 54 - 56.9 or 74.1 - 79 | <54 or >79 | |
| 61 - 69 | 57 - 60 or 70 - 72 | 54 - 56 or 73 - 74 | 51 - 53 or 75 - 79 | <51 or >79 | |
| Good to excellent | Good to excellent | Good to excellent | Fair to Excellent | Poor to Excellent | |
| Good to excellent | Good to excellent | Good to excellent | Fair to Excellent | Poor to Excellent | |
| Very Thin - Slightly Thick | Very Thin - Slightly Thick | Very Thin - Thick | Very Thin - Very Thick | Ex. Thin - Ex. Thick | |
| None | Very Small | Small | Medium | > Medium | |
| 1.00 - 1.03 | 1.00 - 1.03 | 1.04 - 1.05 | 1.06 - 1.08 | > 1.08 | |
| 1.40 - 1.50 | 1.30 - 1.39 or 1.51 - 1.60 | 1.20 - 1.29 or 1.61 - 1.80 | 1.15 - 1.19 or 1.81 - 1.90 | <1.15 or >1.90 |
Emerald diamond cut guide.
Emerald cut diamond length to width ratio.
Evaluating color in emerald cut diamonds is subjective. Keep in mind that many buyers may actually prefer the ever so slightly warmer colors of a G-H diamond over the cool colorlessness of a D-F diamond. In fact, most of the premium in price associated with emerald cut diamonds at the higher end of the color scale is driven by supply and demand; customers want the D-F color grades, and are willing to pay a premium to get them. In a world without diamond color grading, the price premium for higher grades would be much lower, as the actual differences in color are difficult to perceive.
Color of emerald cut diamonds is graded on a scale from D to Z, where D signifies a completely colorless diamond and Z means an easily noticeable yellow or brown tint.
Due to open step facets and a large table, emerald cut diamonds retain more color than other diamond shapes, meaning it's easy to see the natural color of the diamond. This is especially true for diamonds weighing 1.50 carats and over.
Smaller emerald cut diamonds hide color better, but you may still need to choose a diamond in the colorless range (D-E-F) if you want your diamond to appear colorless. The color chart below provides a general guide for evaluating color in emerald cut diamonds:
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| Emerald Cut Diamond | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < .50 ct. | D - G | H - I | J - K | L - M | > M |
| .51-1.0 ct. | D - F | G | H - I | J - K | > K |
| 1.0-2.0 ct. | D - F | D - F | G | H - I | > I |
| > 2.0 ct. | D - F | D - F | G | H - I | > I |
| None | Faint | Medium | Strong - Very Strong | Strong - Very Strong |
Emerald diamond color guide.
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Emerald cut diamond color.
Like color, evaluating clarity in emerald cut diamonds is subjective. GIA provides excellent help with their clarity grades. Still, it is important to understand that each customer will have a unique standard for clarity. Some may be perfectly comfortable with an inclusion as long as they cannot easily see it. Others may insist on a more technically flawless appearance.
The GIA grades clarity of emerald cut diamonds on a scale from FL to I3, where FL means a flawless diamond and I3 indicates a heavily included diamond.
As mentioned above, emerald cut diamonds are not as fiery as brilliant-cut diamonds. Since they are designed to accentuate a diamond's clarity, it is easier to see any flaws in them, especially if the inclusions are found in the middle of the diamond.
Often, inclusions are easier to see in an emerald cut diamond, While an SI1-clarity might be a great balance of price and appearance in other diamond shapes, in emerald cut a VS2 might be a comparable choice. The clarity chart below provides a general guide for evaluating clarity in emerald cut diamonds:
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| Emerald Cut Diamond | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < .50 ct. | FL - VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | I1 | > I1 |
| .51-1.0 ct. | FL - VS1 | VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | > SI2 |
| 1.0-2.0 ct. | FL - VVS2 | VS1 - VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | > SI2 |
| > 2.0 ct. | FL - VVS2 | VS1 | VS2 | SI1 | > SI1 |
Emerald diamond clarity guide.
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Emerald cut diamond clarity.
The exact origins of the first emerald cut remain somewhat ambiguous, although its stylistic specifications can be traced back to the single table cuts of some 500 years ago and the multi-faceted table cuts of the Art Deco period in the early 20th century.
The term "emerald cut" only began being used during the Art Deco period, despite the fact that diamond cutters were already cutting the same shape under different names. Initially, the cut itself was developed specifically for emerald gems in order to reduce the amount of pressure exerted during cutting and to protect the gemstone from chipping. However, diamond cutters soon realized the importance of this cut and applied it to diamonds as well.
Emerald cut diamond history.
Learn more about what you need to know in our ultimate buying guide, if you're thinking of buying a emerald cut diamond. We break it all down from pricing, other shapes comparison and engagement ring setting choices.
