Shapes of Diamonds - Emerald Cut

The Emerald cut is rectangular with cut corners. It is a step cut - its facets being broad with flat planes resembling the steps of a stair. Higher quality Emerald cuts are preferred because its cut makes inclusions and lower color grades more noticeable than with other cuts.

The emerald cut diamond can be absolutely stunning. Because of it's long lines, it tends to be less fiery than a "round brilliant" cut, but it also tends to have broader, more dramatic flashes of light. The trim lines of emerald cut diamonds lend an elegant, sophisticated air to both the simplest and most elaborate ring settings.

When purchasing an emerald cut diamond, it's extremely important to pay attention to quality and to select the highest grade stone you can afford. Because of the "openess" of the cut, flaws, color weakness, and a poor cut are more evident to the naked eye than a cut such as the round brilliant. The good news is, emerald cut diamonds are not as "traditional" as the round brilliant or as trendy as the princess cut -- making their pricing extremely economical when compared to the more common cuts.

Length to width ratio: An emerald cut with a length to width ratio of approximately 1.35:1 is generally the most prized. However, in recent years, square emerald cuts have become extremely popular.